Table of Contents
Reuters Handbook of Journalism...... 1
Standards and Values...... 2 Accuracy...... 3 Independence...... 7 Freedom from bias...... 11 Integrity...... 17
Guide to Operations...... 23 Text...... 24 Reporting and Writing Basics...... 25 The Drill for Breaking News...... 32 Other Common Story Forms...... 37 The Desk...... 58 Corrections, Refiles, Kills, Repeats and Embargoes...... 64 Cracking the codes...... 76 News Presentation...... 80 Photos...... 91 A Brief Guide to Standards, Photoshop and Captions...... 92 Video...... 99 A Brief Guide to the Standards and Values of Reuters Video News...... 100 Domestic Service Guides...... 104 Italian Service...... 105
The Reuters General Style Guide...... 107 A...... 108 B...... 134 C...... 154 D...... 187 E...... 204 F...... 217 G...... 232 H...... 246 I...... 259 J...... 274 K...... 280 L...... 285 M...... 299 N...... 325 O...... 335 P...... 343 Q...... 370 R...... 373 S...... 391 T...... 415 U...... 429 V...... 436 W...... 440
i Table of Contents
The Reuters General Style Guide XYZ...... 451
Sports Style Guide...... 453 A-Z guide to Reuters sports style...... 454 Cricket...... 464 Golf...... 467 Motor Racing...... 470 Soccer...... 473 Tennis...... 480 Winter Sports...... 482
Specialised Guidance...... 485 The Essentials of Reuters sourcing...... 486 Personal investments by Reuters journalists...... 498 Legal dangers and legal support...... 501 Reporting from the internet...... 516 Reporting about people...... 518 Dealing with stringers...... 522 Dealing with threats, dangerous situations and incidents involving Reuters or its staff...... 524 Dealing with complaints...... 529 Attention Editor items and Hoaxes...... 532
ii Reuters Handbook of Journalism
Everything we do as Reuters journalists has to be independent, free from bias and executed with the utmost integrity. These are our core values and stem from the Reuters Trust Principles. As a real-time, competitive news service whose reputation rests on reliability, we also value accuracy, speed and exclusivity. The way in which we, as Reuters employees, live these values is governed by the Reuters Code of Conduct. That code, with a few notable exceptions that apply specifically to journalists, governs the behaviour of all Reuters employees and is essential reading. As journalists, however, we have additional responsibilities if we are to fulfil the highest aspirations of our profession - to search for and report the truth, fairly, honestly and unfailingly.
This handbook is not intended as a collection of "rules". Beyond the obvious, such as the cardinal sin of plagiarism, the dishonesty of fabrication or the immorality of bribe-taking, journalism is a profession that has to be governed by ethical guiding principles rather than by rigid rules. The former liberate, and lead to better journalism. The latter constrain, and restrict our ability to operate. What follows is an attempt to map out those principles, as guidance to taking decisions and adopting behaviours that are in the best interests of Reuters, our shareholders, our customers, our contacts, our readers and our profession.
The handbook, now in its second online edition and fully revised, is the work of no one individual. Dozens of journalists from text, television, pictures and from domestic as well as international services, have worked to bring it up to date. It builds on the work of colleagues, too many to number over the past 150 years, whose commitment to the most ethical standards of our profession has made Reuters the outstanding news organisation it is today.
April 2008
Reuters Handbook of Journalism 1 Standards and Values
What Makes a Reuters Journalist?
There are many different types of journalism practised in Reuters, across text, television, picture services and online. No one definition of our craft applies to them all. What must unite us is honesty and integrity. We often face difficult choices in the pursuit of better stories and superior images. In such situations there are several "right" answers and the rules we use run out. We can, however, guard against damage to our reputation through a shared understanding of the fundamental principles that govern our work.
The 10 Absolutes of Reuters Journalism
• Always hold accuracy sacrosanct • Always correct an error openly • Always strive for balance and freedom from bias • Always reveal a conflict of interest to a manager • Always respect privileged information • Always protect their sources from the authorities • Always guard against putting their opinion in a news story • Never fabricate or plagiarise • Never alter a still or moving image beyond the requirements of normal image enhancement • Never pay for a story and never accept a bribe
Standards and Values 2 Standards and Values 3 Accuracy
Accuracy is at the heart of what we do. It is our job to get it first but it is above all our job to get it right. Accuracy, as well as balance, always takes precedence over speed.
Contents
• 1 Corrections • 2 Sourcing • 3 Quotes • 4 Reflecting reality • 5 Datelines and bylines • 6 Attribution • 7 Reporting rumours • 8 Graphic images and obscenities
Corrections
Reuters is transparent about errors. We rectify them promptly and clearly, whether in a story, a caption, a graphic or a script. We do not disguise or bury corrections in subsequent leads or stories. Our Corrections Policy is outlined in this Handbook.
Sourcing
Accuracy entails honesty in sourcing. Our reputation for that accuracy, and for freedom from bias, rests on the credibility of our sources. A Reuters journalist or camera is always the best source on a witnessed event. A named source is always preferable to an unnamed source. We should never deliberately mislead in our sourcing, quote a source saying one thing on the record and something contradictory on background, or cite sources in the plural when we have only one. Anonymous sources are the weakest sources. All journalists should be familiar with the detailed guidance in The Essentials of Reuters sourcing.
Here are some handy tips:
• Use named sources wherever possible because they are responsible for the information they provide, even though we remain liable for accuracy, balance and legal dangers. Press your sources to go on the record. • Reuters will use unnamed sources where necessary when they provide information of market or public interest that is not available on the record. We alone are responsible for the accuracy of such information. • When talking to sources, always make sure the ground rules are clear. Take notes and record interviews. • Cross-check information wherever possible. Two or more sources are better than one. In assessing information from unnamed sources, weigh the source's track record, position and motive. Use your common sense. If it sounds wrong, check further. • Talk to sources on all sides of a deal, dispute, negotiation or conflict.
Standards and Values 3 Standards and Values 4
• Be honest in sourcing and in obtaining information. Give as much context and detail as you can about sources, whether named or anonymous, to authenticate information they provide. Be explicit about what you don't know. • Reuters will publish news from a single, anonymous source in exceptional cases, when it is credible information from a trusted source with direct knowledge of the situation. Single-source stories are subject to a special authorisation procedure. • A source's compact is with Reuters, not with the reporter. If asked on legitimate editorial grounds, you are expected to disclose your source to your supervisor. Protecting the confidentiality of sources, by both the reporter and supervisor, is paramount. • When doing initiative reporting, try to disprove as well as prove your story. • Accuracy always comes first. It's better to be late than wrong. Before pushing the button, think how you would withstand a challenge or a denial. • Know your sources well. Consider carefully if the person you are communicating with is an imposter. Sources can provide information by whatever means available - telephone, in person, email, instant messaging, text message. But be aware that any communication can be interfered with. • Reuters will stand by a reporter who has followed the sourcing guidelines and the proper approval procedures.
Quotes
Quotes are sacrosanct. They must never be altered other than to delete a redundant word or clause, and then only if the deletion does not alter the sense of the quote in any way. Selective use of quotes can be unbalanced. Be sure that quotes you use are representative of what the speaker is saying and that you describe body language (a smile or a wink) that may affect the sense of what is being reported. When quoting an individual always give the context or circumstances of the quote.
It is not our job to make people look good by cleaning up inelegant turns of phrase, nor is it our job to expose them to ridicule by running such quotes. In most cases, this dilemma can be resolved by paraphrase and reported speech. Where it cannot, reporters should consult a more senior journalist to discuss whether the quote can be run verbatim. Correcting a grammatical error in a quote may be valid, but rewording an entire phrase is not. When translating quotes from one language into another, we should do so in an idiomatic way rather than with pedantic literalness. Care must be taken to ensure that the tone of the translation is equivalent to the tone of the original. Beware of translating quotes in newspaper pickups back into the original language of the source. If a French politician gives an interview to an American newspaper, it is almost certain that the translation back into French will be wrong and in some cases the quote could be very different. In such cases, the fewer quotes and the more reported speech, the better.
Reflecting reality
Accuracy means that our images and stories must reflect reality. It can be tempting for journalists to "hype" or sensationalise material, skewing the reality of the situation or misleading the reader or viewer into assumptions and impressions that are wrong and potentially harmful. A "flood" of immigrants, for example, may in reality be a relatively small number of people just as a "surge" in a stock price may be a quite modest rise. Stopping to think, and to discuss, how we use words leads
Standards and Values 4 Standards and Values 5 to more precise journalism and also minimises the potential for harm. Similarly, no actions in visual journalism should be taken that add to or detract from the reality of images. In some circumstances, this may constitute fabrication and can cause serious damage to our reputation. Such actions may lead to disciplinary measures, including dismissal.
Datelines and bylines
Accuracy is paramount in our use of datelines and bylines. Readers assume that the byline shows the writer was at the dateline. We should byline stories only from datelines where the writer (or the reporter being written up on a desk) was present. We may only use datelines where we have staff or freelancers on the spot from text, photos or TV and we are getting information from them on the ground. Reporters or freelancers who have contributed to a report should be included in an additional reporting line at the end of the story, giving their name and location.
Attribution
Accuracy means proper attribution to the source of material that is not ours, whether in a story, a photograph or moving images. Our customers and the public rely on us to be honest about where material has originated. It allows them to assess the reliability.
It is insufficient simply to label video or a photograph as "handout". We should clearly identify the source - for example "Greenpeace Video" or "U.S. Army Photo". Similarly, it is essential for transparency that material we did not gather ourselves is clearly attributed in stories to the source, including when that source is a rival organisation. Failure to do so may open us to charges of plagiarism.
Reporting rumours
Reuters aims to report the facts, not rumours. Clients rely on us to differentiate between fact and rumour and our reputation rests partly on that. There are times when rumours affect financial markets and we have a duty to tell readers why a market is moving and to try to track down the rumour - to verify it or knock it down. There may be exceptional circumstances when a market is moving so rapidly and so violently that we move a story before being able to verify or knock down the rumour. Full guidance on how to handle rumours is in The Essentials of Reuters sourcing.
Graphic images and obscenities
In the course of our work, we witness and record scenes of a violent or sexually graphic nature. As journalists, we have an obligation to convey the reality of what we report accurately, yet a duty to be aware that such material can cause distress, damage the dignity of the individuals concerned or even in some cases so overpower the viewer or reader that a rational understanding of the facts is impaired. We do not sanitise violence, bowdlerise speech or euphemise sex. We should not, however, publish graphic images and details or obscene language gratuitously or with an intention to titillate or to shock. There must be a valid news reason for running such material and it will usually require a decision by a senior editor. In all cases, we need to consider whether the material is necessary to an understanding of the reality portrayed or described. We should also be mindful
Standards and Values 5 Standards and Values 6 that our customers in different markets often have different thresholds and needs. Graphic material which we might send to our wholesale broadcast clients may not be suitable for use online in our consumer business, just as a sexually explicit photograph may be more acceptable in one part of the world than another.
Further guidance on dealing with graphic images can be found in the Photos and Video sections of this Handbook. Writers should consult the Style Guide entry on obscenities for guidance on how to handle offensive language. Stories that contain such language must be sent ATTENTION EDITOR.
Category: Standards and Values
Standards and Values 6 Standards and Values 7 Independence
Independence is the essence of our reputation as a "stateless" global news organisation and fundamental to the trust that allows us to report impartially from all sides of a conflict or dispute. It is crucial to our ability to report on companies, institutions and individuals in the financial markets, many of whom are also our customers, without regard for anything other than accuracy, balance and the truth. Our independence stems not only from the structure of Reuters but also from our duty as journalists to avoid conflicts of interest or situations that could give rise to a perception of a conflict. What follows is not an exhaustive list of conflicts that might arise. If you think that there is a potential for conflict in any of your activities you should raise this with your manager.
Contents
• 1 Personal Investments • 2 Declaring financial interests • 3 Work outside Reuters • 4 Checking back with sources • 5 Gifts and entertainment • 6 Travel and accommodation • 7 Bribes and other inducements • 8 Independence Within Reuters • 9 Entering competitions and receiving awards
Personal Investments
You must not allow any investments held by you or your immediate family to influence you in your work for Reuters. Except under any arrangements made for employees by Reuters, you must not use any of Reuters transaction or communications facilities for your own - or any other individual's - personal investment purposes. This does not apply to use of a Reuters product which is directed to the consumer market.
Declaring financial interests
Whether you are reporting news, financial information or other subjects you should ensure that no circumstances exist which could give rise to a suspicion of bias on the part of Reuters. The section in the Code of Conduct that deals with personal investments reflects the standard acceptable at the time the Code was written. The changing industry and regulatory environments make it clear that we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard in order to protect and grow the reputation of Reuters for accurate, unbiased journalism. That standard applies to all journalists in editorial and supplements the Code, which should be read in conjunction with it. The standard is detailed in the section of this Handbook Personal investments by Reuters journalists. Failure to adhere to the standard will be subject to the disciplinary procedures in force in the location where any infraction occurs.
Standards and Values 7 Standards and Values 8 Work outside Reuters
You may not engage in paid work outside Reuters unless your manager has given you permission in advance. This would include, for example, writing a book or articles, addressing a conference or commercial or news photography. Permission will be routinely granted if the activities do not affect Reuters. (Guild members in the United States are not required to seek permission to take a second job unless it could be considered in competition with Reuters).
Checking back with sources
Reuters never submits stories, scripts or images to sources to vet before publication. This breaches our independence. We may, of our own volition, check back with a source to verify a quote or to satisfy ourselves about the reliability of factual information but we also need to ensure that in doing so we do not give sources an opportunity to retract or materially alter a quote or information to their advantage.
Interview subjects or their organisations or companies sometimes ask to see the quotes we plan to publish or broadcast before they are issued. We should resist such requests where possible. If we do have to submit quotes for approval, we should not agree to a quote being materially changed. It is often effective to give the source a tight deadline for approval.
Gifts and entertainment
The Reuters Code of Conduct reminds journalists that they must not accept any payment, gift, service or benefit (whether in cash or in kind) offered by a news source or contact. In some societies it is traditional to offer or receive gifts on special occasions, such as secular or religious holidays. To refuse such a gift may cause offence and in weighing what to do, a journalist must be mindful of a society's culture and traditions. A good test of whether to accept the gift or politely decline is the value of the item. A traditional gift of purely nominal value may be appropriate to accept. A gift of more than nominal value should be declined, using an explanation of our policies. If a gift of some value proves impossible to decline, it should be surrendered to the journalist's manager for donation to a suitable charity. If you cannot decide whether the gift is of greater than nominal value, assume that it is. Staff in any doubt about how to behave should discuss the appropriate action with their manager.
In the course of gathering news, journalists are often invited to breakfasts, luncheons or dinners. As long as such occasions are newsworthy, it may be appropriate to accept the hospitality provided it is within reason. We do not accept "junkets" - events that have little if any value to our newsgathering such as an invitation to a free holiday, an evening's entertainment or a sporting event at the expense of a news source. Accepting such hospitality when there is no news value might well be seen to create an unreasonable obligation to the source. Reuters has a company-wide policy on bribery, corruption, gifts and entertainment which also applies to journalists and is accessible via the corporate Reuters Policy Gateway.
Standards and Values 8 Standards and Values 9 Travel and accommodation
News sources, often companies, will sometimes offer journalists free transport or accommodation to get to cover a story. Our standard position is that we pay our own way and make our own travel arrangements. If that is impractical or will restrict access to sources, you must consult your manager about the offer. Permission will normally be given only if the story warrants coverage and to insist on paying would be impractical. In this case, a donation equivalent to the costs Reuters would have incurred should be made to a suitable charity and the donation logged.
In exceptional circumstances, it may be impossible to get to the news without accepting free travel or accommodation. Such cases might include flying to a remote location to cover a famine story with an aid organisation, taking a military flight to a war zone or interviewing a company CEO on a private jet. Again, journalists must obtain permission from their manager to proceed. The manager needs to weigh such factors as access, newsworthiness and the potential for a conflict (what if there is no story out of the trip?) and may need to escalate.
Bribes and other inducements
Under no circumstances should we take or offer payment (whether in cash or in kind) for a news story. Such action is a grave breach of our ethics, undermines our independence and can lead to disciplinary action including dismissal. Journalists also need to weigh how they entertain sources. We clearly need to take sources out for a meal or out for a drink in pursuit of the news and encourage our journalists to do so. Such entertainment, however, should not go beyond the bounds of normal, basic hospitality and needs to be in line with the Reuters policy on bribery, corruption, gifts and entertainment.
Reuters does not use gifts of value, in cash or in kind, to influence sources. In most countries, government officials (and officers of state-owned enterprises) are also restricted in the benefits they can accept for performing their duties, including non-cash benefits. Making an improper offer can also subject Reuters and its employees to fines or imprisonment. Journalists must inform themselves of the relevant restrictions before offering a gift of even nominal worth and seek approval from their manager.
Limited potential exceptions exist to the Reuters policy prohibiting the offering or making of payments or inducements, including to government officials. These exceptions will apply only in very narrow circumstances, such as risk to life and limb or facilitating payments made simply to speed up a legal or administrative process. Such payments should generally be small and must be accurately identified in expense reports and other records. Journalists should seek approval from their manager, who should escalate as necessary and report any approved payments to the Reuters Area General Counsel, unless circumstances require an on-the-spot decision, in which case the journalist should act within the spirit of these guidelines.
Independence Within Reuters
The Trust Principles and the Board of Trustees exist to guarantee the independence of Reuters and also the editorial independence of journalists within Reuters. We do not write stories, take photographs or film events to help clinch a sales contract or alter our coverage of a company, government or institution to suit Reuters commercial interests. The company does not expect this of
Standards and Values 9 Standards and Values 10 its editorial staff. It expects us to apply sound news judgment and to produce stories and images that are accurate, fair and balanced. If a colleague from outside editorial raises an issue with a story or image and makes a reasoned argument that it is unbalanced or incorrect, then we have a clear duty to examine the complaint.
Entering competitions and receiving awards
Reuters encourages its employees to submit outstanding work, whether text, visual or graphics, for awards for excellence in journalism from reputable, disinterested sources. Care must be taken to ensure that such action does not come into conflict with the Trust Principles or departmental guidelines. Employees may submit journalistic work produced for Reuters for an award with the approval of their manager. Unsolicited awards need similar approval before they can be accepted, as do invitations to sit on a competition jury as a Reuters journalist. No work for Reuters, whether text, visual or graphics, should be produced primarily for submission for an award, nor should it be altered, except to conform to the rules of the competition (e.g. submitted as a Word document).
Employees will normally be given approval to submit work produced for Reuters for awards, including monetary awards, from reputable professional bodies in the news, photographic, television and graphics industries or to sit on the jury for such awards. Approval will not be granted to enter work for awards from companies, institutions, lobby groups, governments, political parties or associations and advocacy groups whose criteria are self-serving or whose aim in granting the award could be construed as an attempt to influence the impartiality and tenor of the recipient's work or Reuters coverage.
Any unsolicited award for work done for Reuters should be reported immediately by the intended recipient to a manager, who should consider the matter in the spirit of these principles. Sympathetic consideration will be given to unsolicited awards from reputable media rights groups or from official institutions that recognise a journalist's contribution to civil society in a way that cannot be construed as self-serving.
Category: Standards and Values
Standards and Values 10 Standards and Values 11 Freedom from bias
Reuters would not be Reuters without freedom from bias. We are a "stateless" news service that welcomes diversity into our newsrooms but asks all staff to park their nationality and politics at the door. This neutrality is a hallmark of our news brand and allows us to work on all sides of an issue, conflict or dispute without any agenda other than accurate, fair reporting. Our customers and our sources value Reuters for that quality and it is one we all must work to preserve.
Contents
• 1 Take no side, tell all sides • 2 Opinion and Analysis • 3 Discriminatory language and stereotypes • 4 Investment advice • 5 Reporting on Reuters • 6 Political and Community Activity • 7 Equal Opportunity in the Newsroom • 8 Diversity in the Newsroom • 9 Media Interviews and Speaking Engagements
Take no side, tell all sides
As Reuters journalists, we never identify with any side in an issue, a conflict or a dispute. Our text and visual stories need to reflect all sides, not just one. This leads to better journalism because it requires us to stop at each stage of newsgathering and ask ourselves "What do I know?" and "What do I need to know?" In reporting a takeover bid, for example, it should be obvious that the target company must be given an opportunity to state their position. Similarly in a political dispute or military conflict, there are always at least two sides to consider and we risk being perceived as biased if we fail to give adequate space to the various parties.
This objectivity does not always come down to giving equal space to all sides. The perpetrator of an atrocity or the leader of a fringe political group arguably warrants less space than the victims or mainstream political parties. We must, however, always strive to be scrupulously fair and balanced. Allegations should not be portrayed as fact; charges should not be conveyed as a sign of guilt. We have a duty of fairness to give the subjects of such stories the opportunity to put their side.
We must also be on guard against bias in our choice of words. Words like "claimed" or "according to" can suggest we doubt what is being said. Words like "fears" or "hopes" might suggest we are taking sides. Verbs like rebut or refute (which means to disprove) or like fail (as in failed to comment) can imply an editorial judgment and are best avoided. Thinking about language can only improve our writing and our journalism.
Standards and Values 11 Standards and Values 12 Opinion and Analysis
Reuters makes a fundamental distinction between our factual news stories and clearly-labelled opinion pieces.
Reuters journalists do not express their opinions in news stories, voiced video or scripts, or on blogs or chat rooms they may contribute to in the course of their work. This fundamental principle has generated huge trust in Reuters among customers and the public over many years. It holds true for all the types of news that Reuters covers, whether financial or general and in any language or form.
This is not to say that other people's opinions have no place in our stories. They are very often relevant to the story and are essential for the reader or viewer to understand its meaning and consequences. For that to hold true, quoted opinion must be authoritative and be attributed to a named source. We risk biased reporting if we allow an unnamed source to say, for example, "I believe Company X is on the path to strong revenue growth and see its stock rising by 20 per cent over the next six months." We have no protection in such a case against the charge that we are working in the interests of unnamed sources to talk up a stock that their firms may have a substantial interest in. We do enjoy that protection if we write: "I believe Company X is on the path to strong revenue growth and see its stock rising by 20 per cent over next six months," said Joe Mo, a senior equities analyst at Manchuk Fund Manager which holds 7.3 per cent of the company's share capital.
In our columns and in certain other distinct services we may create, we do allow named authors to express a point of view. We will always clearly label these pieces as being distinct from the factual news file and we will publish disclaimers that say the work does not represent the opinions of Reuters. Those journalists who are allowed to publish "point of view" pieces like columns will express solidly-grounded views in their areas of expertise and will not simply provoke with ungrounded assertions or personal attacks . For more on columnists see the section Columns.
It is the responsibility of senior editors to ensure that we publish a variety of views by aggregating the work of others, by commissioning guest contributions, by encouraging engagement by our audiences in different forms and by reflecting the multiplicity of human perspectives across a varied and diverse news file.
Analysis is a valued part of our news file and should not be confused with items like Columns. Whether in spot copy or as a stand-alone item tagged ANALYSIS, we provide valued insight into events or issues and cast light on them from a new angle without compromising our standards of impartiality or commitment to fairness. The writer's professional judgment has a large part to play in good analysis though we must take care not to stray into the realm of opinion. Good analysis is supported by the established facts or available data and rests on the use of named sources and the writer's expertise. Analysis need not reflect the consensus view; indeed some of the best analysis may challenge that view. A story that takes the ANALYSIS tag may also be appropriate for an informative, in-depth look at an issue of interest to a specialist readership, without necessarily needing a spot hook for the story.
Standards and Values 12 Standards and Values 13 Discriminatory language and stereotypes
We must avoid inappropriate references to gender, ethnicity, religion, culture, appearance, age, and sexual orientation. When a story relies on such references, we should ask if it is a Reuters story at all. A Reuters journalist must be sensitive to unconscious stereotyping and dated assumptions. Is it really novel that the person in the news is black, blonde, female, overweight or gay? If it is relevant, does the fact belong in the lead or should it be woven in lower down? Our language should be neutral and natural. When referring to professional groups, plural expressions such as executives and journalists are preferable to gender-specific tags that imply the exclusion of women. We should avoid artificial words such as "spokesperson" when describing a role. We should avoid gratuitous references to appearance or attire, while recognising the situations when these details are relevant. Reporters must resist the assumption that their cultural values, religious beliefs or social mores are the norm. We should also be suspicious of country stereotypes - the usually negative notions about a national character. These can be offensive. References to country stereotypes may be valid in certain well-balanced stories, but we should always proceed with caution, even when seeking to challenge or subvert a preconception. Fuller guidance can be found in the section of this Handbook Reporting about people.
Investment advice
You must not express a personal view in reports on the merits of a particular investment. Reports containing value judgments on investments must be sourced to a named third party. Local laws also impact on our reporting. Reuters reports news. It does not give investment advice and in many countries is prohibited from doing so by law. Reuters journalists should also not give investment advice to customers and/or readers who solicit such advice by any means including telephone, letter, fax or e-mail.
Reporting on Reuters
You must take extreme care to avoid any hint of bias when reporting on the Reuters Group, ensuring that reports are factually based. We need some special rules on reporting Reuters as a company, so we are not seen as talking the company's shares up or down. A Reuters story about Reuters is perceived by stock markets and market regulators as the official line on the company. When reporting on Reuters subsidiaries or quoting officials and analysts from Reuters subsidiaries it must be stated that these are Reuters companies. Here is how to report on Reuters or a majority-owned subsidiary:
• As a rule, we do not produce initiative reporting of Reuters. • Any story about Reuters must be marked ATTENTION EDITOR and seen by a regional specialist editor or deputy before transmission. • Always seek comment from a company spokesman. One should always be available in London or New York. • No story about Reuters may contain a quote from an unnamed source.
Standards and Values 13 Standards and Values 14
• Any pick-up of a story about Reuters from other media must be marked ATTENTION EDITOR and seen by a regional specialist editor or deputy before transmission. Always seek comment from a company spokesman. • As with all other pick-ups, we should pick up only stories which are likely to be market-moving or of significant general interest.
Political and Community Activity
Reuters does not give support - directly or indirectly - to any political party or group nor does it take sides in national or international conflicts or disputes in accordance with our Code of Conduct. In keeping with this policy you must not identify the Reuters name with any political party or group or any one side in such conflicts or disputes.
Displays of political affiliation or support for partisan causes have no place in our newsrooms. No member of editorial, whether a journalist or support worker, may wear campaign buttons, badges or items of clothing bearing political slogans on the job, nor bring posters, pamphlets and other political material to the workplace to distribute or display.
Outside work, Reuters respects the right (and in some countries the obligation) of staff to vote in elections and referendums and does not seek to interfere with that right. The company also recognises that staff enjoy certain fundamental freedoms as a result of their nationality or where they live. Reuters, however, expects journalistic staff in all branches of editorial to be keenly sensitive to the risk that their activities outside work may open their impartiality to questioning or create a perception of bias.
Such perceptions can undermine the integrity not only of the individual but of all journalists at Reuters and damage the company's reputation. In some societies, individuals who sign petitions or join demonstrations may be monitored by the authorities and evidence could be used to damage their reputation or restrict our newsgathering operations. In other countries, individuals who contribute to political campaign funds have their names on the public record. Again, such evidence may be used by those who would seek to undermine the good name of Reuters, its staff or our profession. A policy designed to protect our standing as a news service free from bias cannot be policed. It relies on trust and an expectation that staff will refrain from activities that might, whatever the intention, raise perceptions of a conflict and that they will consult their manager in any case of doubt. Where such perceptions of a conflict do arise, Reuters may in some cases ultimately require the journalist to move to other duties. Individuals should use their common sense, The Trust Principles and the values of unbiased journalism in deciding whether to donate to certain charitable causes or be active in the affairs of their community. A conflict is unlikely to arise but staff in any doubt should consult their manager. The same principles apply to any doubts about a possible perception of conflict that may arise from the activities of a close family member.
Standards and Values 14 Standards and Values 15 Equal Opportunity in the Newsroom
Reuters is committed to treating its employees fairly, regardless of gender, ethnic, national or religious background, age, disability, marital status, parental status or sexual orientation. Qualified employees will be given consideration for all job openings regardless of any of the above. The selection of employees included for entry to the company, for training, development and promotion should be determined solely on their skills, abilities and other requirements which are relevant to the job and in accordance with the laws in the country concerned.
Diversity in the Newsroom
Reuters recognises, values and encourages a diverse employment mix. In addition to gender and ethnic origin, the company considers a wide range of backgrounds in terms of experience and knowledge as part of its recruitment and employee development policies. While politics has no place in our newsrooms, diversity does. We welcome the varying perspectives, insights and considerations that diversity of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, upbringing, age, marital or parental status, customs and culture bring to the debate about the news we gather. Diversity enriches what we do and there is a place for everyone in the discussion and the exchange of ideas that lead to the best journalism.
Media Interviews and Speaking Engagements
Reuters staff are sometimes asked by broadcasters or print publications to give interviews, often through our media relations unit. We encourage such exposure for our journalists and their expertise. If journalists are willing to be interviewed, they should adhere to the following principles:
• Any interviews have to be approved in advance by the journalist's manager. • Interviews with Reuters own services, e.g. RVN, take precedence. • The request must come from a credible broadcaster or publication that is unlikely to use the interview for propaganda purposes. • Correspondents must not give personal opinions and should confine themselves largely to what has been reported by Reuters. • Correspondents should say nothing that could provoke controversy, embarrass Reuters, undermine our reputation for objectivity and impartiality, impair our reporting access or jeopardise staff. • We must be satisfied that the correspondent is an experienced member of staff upon whom we can rely to act with responsibility and discretion. • We only allow brief interviews that impinge little on correspondents' time and do not disrupt their reporting. • Payment should not be sought. If received, we recommend that it be paid to your charity of choice.
Standards and Values 15 Standards and Values 16
Reuters editorial staff with specialist knowledge may also speak at seminars, conferences and other forums about the areas of their expertise with the approval of their manager. Similar conditions apply as with those for media interviews. Staff must ensure that the credentials of the organisers are such that attending the event as a speaker does not affect Reuters reputation for integrity, independence and freedom from bias. Editorial staff need authorisation from a senior manager to discuss our editorial or corporate affairs publicly or with other media. If another media organisation asks about our policies (whether editorial or corporate), about staff matters or about stories or images that may be controversial, employees must refer the matter to a manager, who should take details and refer the enquirer to an official company spokesman.
Category: Standards and Values
Standards and Values 16 Standards and Values 17 Integrity
Integrity requires us to adhere to the highest ethical standards of our profession and to the values enshrined in the Reuters Trust Principles. All employees have a responsibility to ensure that the reputation of Reuters retains its high standing with whomever we come into contact. As a member of the Reuters team, you are expected to accept certain responsibilities, adhere to acceptable professional standards in matters of personal conduct and exhibit a high degree of personal integrity at all times. When operating outside of your home country, you must also have due regard for all relevant local legislation and regulations and act with appropriate respect for local culture and custom.
Contents
• 1 Acting within the law • 2 Identifying ourselves as journalists • 3 Reporting from the Internet • 4 Insider trading • 5 Dealing with sources • 6 Dealing with customers • 7 Dealing with people • 8 Dealing with competitors • 9 Dealing with complaints • 10 Dealing with the authorities • 11 Dealing with each other • 12 Reporting incidents • 13 Life outside Reuters
Acting within the law
One of the fundamental things that we try to do at Reuters is to ensure that we are aware of and comply with the many different laws, rules and standards of conduct that apply to us in all the countries where we operate.
In gathering the news, we must ensure that we do so in a way that is legal and above board. Purloining data and documents, breaking into premises, electronic eavesdropping, telephone taps, computer hacking and defeating passwords or other security methods on internet websites are all illicit and should not be used in the course of our work.
Extremely rare circumstances may arise when breaking a story is so overwhelmingly in the public interest that we may need to consider actions that could be construed as illegal. In such cases, all legal means of obtaining the necessary information must have been exhausted. A decision to go beyond that point must be taken at the highest level in editorial in consultation with the Reuters General Counsel's Office. For fuller guidance see the Legal Dangers section of the Handbook.
Standards and Values 17 Standards and Values 18 Identifying ourselves as journalists
Reuters journalists do not obtain news by deception. We identify ourselves at all times as working for Reuters. We do not pass ourselves off as something other than a journalist, nor do we pretend to be from other news organisations.
Circumstances may arise when an assumption is made about who we are. It may be appropriate to allow that assumption to persist in the interests of news gathering. Staff should apply common sense and the spirit of our Code of Conduct in determining what to do. In all cases, we must identify ourselves as Reuters journalists if challenged.
Reporting from the Internet
We are committed to aggressive journalism in all its forms, including in the field of computer-assisted reporting, but we draw the line at illegal behaviour. Internet reporting is nothing more than applying the principles of sound journalism to the sometimes unusual situations thrown up in the virtual world. The same standards of sourcing, identification and verification apply. Take the same precautions online as you would in other forms of newsgathering and do not use anything from the Internet that is not sourced in such a way that you can verify where it came from. For further guidance on the use of the Internet to report see the section of this Handbook, REPORTING FROM THE INTERNET.
Insider trading
Insider trading is the buying or selling of the securities of any company (including Reuters) while in possession of material, non-public information about it. Tipping is the improper disclosure of such information. You would be guilty of insider trading or tipping if, while possessing information that is not in the public domain about a company, you bought or sold securities or gave to a third party information on the basis of which they bought, sold or retained securities.
Reuters forbids its staff to participate in insider trading and/or tipping information that could have an impact - negative or positive - on the price of Reuters shares or any other company's shares or securities. These are grounds for dismissal. We must avoid not only impropriety but also any appearance of impropriety. Insider trading and tipping are also criminal offences in many countries and carry heavy penalties.
These guidelines are based on U.S. law, perhaps the most stringent of any country on this issue. The definition of a company security is all-embracing. Information is considered material if it is likely to affect the market price of a security and there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would attach importance to it in deciding whether to buy, sell or hold a security. It is irrelevant whether the information is factual or speculative or whether it is generated inside or outside Reuters. Examples of material information include: information about contemplated mergers or acquisitions, impending bankruptcy, business plans, proposed sale or purchase of assets, pending government reports and statistics, e.g. the consumer price index, financial forecasts, earnings estimates, changes in management and the gain or loss of a substantial customer or supplier.
Standards and Values 18 Standards and Values 19 Information is considered non-public until it has been publicly disclosed (in a major news publication or on a wire service, in a public filing made to a regulatory agency or in materials sent to shareholders) and the market has had time to absorb and react to the information. It should be assumed that information obtained in the course of employment by Reuters is non-public. The fact that rumours about this information may be circulating, even if they are widespread, does not mean the information is public and does not relieve you from the obligation to treat the information as non-public. For fuller guidance see the Legal Dangers section of this Handbook.
Dealing with sources
Sources must be cultivated by being professionally polite and fair. The Reuters Code of Conduct applies when it comes to relationships with sources that involve gifts, travel, and opportunities that result from inside information. The basic rule is that we pay our own way. We encourage staff to cultivate sources but also expect them to be conscious of the need to maintain a detachment from them. We should not cultivate or associate with sources on one side of an issue to a point where there are grounds to question whether the relationship has exceeded the bounds of proper, professional contact. While it is appropriate to entertain sources, including outside working hours, regularly spending substantial leisure time with them may raise a potential conflict or a perception of bias. A good measure of the propriety of the relationship is to ask whether you would be comfortable spending as much time with another source on a different side of the issue or your beat. If in doubt, seek guidance from your manager.
A romantic or family attachment with a news source or with a person or persons who might be the subject of a staff member's coverage should be disclosed to the appropriate manager. Journalists may also not report on or quote family members in order to avoid a perception of favouritism or bias.
Dealing with customers
Many of our customers are often also our news sources or the subjects of the news we report. Our relationship with them should be governed by the professional behaviours required of journalists. It is essential in our dealings with clients that we should be courteous, helpful and attentive when they approach us with concerns or questions about our news service or about specific reports. We also need to pay attention in our dealings with clients as journalists to the clear line that separates the editorial and commercial functions of Reuters. While we may discuss news issues and the news functionality of our products, it would be inappropriate for journalists to negotiate sales contracts with clients or potential customers.
We should avoid misrepresenting ourselves to clients, avoid defaming our competitors and avoid encouraging clients to divulge information about them in a manner that would breach their obligation to those competitors.
Dealing with people
A reputation for accurate, balanced reporting is one of our biggest assets. We must not shy away from painful reality, but we should also seek to minimise any harm to the public through our actions. The people who make the news are vulnerable to the impact of our stories. In extreme cases, their lives or their reputations could depend on our reporting.
Standards and Values 19 Standards and Values 20 When covering people in the news, Reuters journalists:
• Avoid needless pain and offence • Treat victims with sensitivity • Eschew gossip about the private lives of public figures • Avoid sensationalism and hype • Seek clear, unambiguous accounts of the facts • Are on alert for spin and other forms of media manipulation • Are wary of assumptions and bias, including our own as journalists
A Reuters journalist shows integrity, impartiality, persistence, accountability and humility when covering people. When these principles are applied, we should be able to defend any story to ourselves, our sources and our readers. Fuller guidance can be found in REPORTING ABOUT PEOPLE.
Dealing with competitors
Reuters engages in vigorous competition to report the news first and best. At the same time, we compete fairly, without placing obstacles in the way of our competitors. We want information about our competitors but must take care that the way we collect that information, and how we share it and use it, is not improper or illegal. We acknowledge when our competitors obtain exclusive news that is of value to our customers by attributing it to them clearly in pickups, just as we would expect from them.
We do not "do deals" with our competitors on covering the news, trade material with them or divulge information to rivals about editorial or corporate policies and operations. We should cooperate when justified in circumstances when to do so would reduce the risk to life and limb or when access to an event is restricted and it is in everyone's interest to pool information or images. We may also cooperate with our competitors on matters of mutual interest such as staff safety, government regulation, and legal and other legitimate action to protect the rights of the media.
Dealing with complaints
The Reuters reputation for getting it right and reporting it fairly is something we should be proud of. It is a key part of attracting and keeping clients. Sometimes we do get it wrong, and it is important for our reputation to fix it when we do. Responding promptly and properly to complaints that we have not been accurate, balanced or ethical can avoid what could become costly legal problems, or widespread bad publicity. Complaints from any quarter - a source, a client, a member of the public, or a colleague in another part of Reuters - must be investigated promptly so that immediate corrective action can be taken if it proves to be well founded. Complaints that cannot be immediately investigated must be acknowledged at once and followed up quickly. They should be handled at a senior level in the bureau or on the desk.
Remember throughout the process of dealing with complaints that attitude counts. Getting mad or sounding overtly hostile may only make the person raising an issue more determined to press forward and less inclined to listen to what we have to say. It may help if you try to think of what you're hearing as feedback or constructive criticism, rather than simply a complaint. Full guidance on what to do can be found in DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS.
Standards and Values 20 Standards and Values 21 Dealing with the authorities
Any requests for published or unpublished Reuters content (e.g. video tapes, copies of stories, photographs or journalists' notes or other background materials) from police, security forces, tribunals and the like or from lawyers or individuals involved in civil or criminal court proceedings should be referred to a senior editor who should alert the legal department.
We have a duty to report the truth, to challenge censorship and seek ways of breaking news of major public interest. We do not voluntarily hand over published or unpublished material to authorities. Where appropriate, we will consider filing lawful challenges to court orders or subpoenas that would seek to compel disclosure of such material. This is for the safety of Reuters staff and in order to preserve Reuters reputation of independence and freedom from bias.
All original tapes and picture files of sensitive situations that could conceivably end up in court, such as riots or killings, and other material such as audio tapes or notes must be couriered to London immediately for safekeeping. For materials relating to events in the United Kingdom, the tapes and picture files must be shipped to New York. In dealing with any request for material, distinguish between published and unpublished material. If the request relates to published Reuters content, we may refer the person making the request to the various commercial services that offer such material: Factiva for news reports, RPA for pictures and ITN for video footage, as these services are generally available to the public.
Dealing with each other
Teamwork is crucial to our success at Reuters and one of our greatest strengths. Joint planning and cooperation by staff in all disciplines - text, news pictures, TV and graphics - is not only expected, but is required if we are to take full advantage of our position. We share information, ideas, non-confidential contacts and the burden of coverage.
Reuters supports the right of every employee in editorial to contribute ideas, suggestions and positive criticisms of what we do and how we do it. The Company also recognises that every employee has the right to work in an environment free from harassment, intimidation or offensive behaviour and one in which any issue of harassment will be resolved without reprisal or breach of confidentiality. Staff should feel able to raise concerns about standards and ethics and report any perceived breach of our high standards to their manager without fear of recrimination.All employees are expected to take personal responsibility for upholding our standards by treating with dignity and respect, all job applicants, fellow employees, customers, contract and temporary personnel and any other individuals associated with Reuters.
Reporting incidents
The internal reporting of serious incidents involving harm or risk to staff, significant problems with stories or images, hoaxes and allegations of improper behaviour is an important part of any manager's job. Non-managerial staff who become aware of any such incident must report it to their supervisor. The reporting of such incidents is essential to keep senior company officials up to date on situations that affect staff and operations or which have the potential to embarrass Reuters or affect the company's reputation. A report from one part of the world - on an attempted hoax, for example - can also provide an important tip-off to managers in another part of the world. We also
Standards and Values 21 Standards and Values 22 need to be able to spot trends and take precautions if a pattern is discerned, instead of treating each "incident" as a once-off. Managers should familiarise themselves with the guidelines for DEALING WITH THREATS, DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AND INCIDENTS INVOLVING REUTERS OR ITS STAFF.
Life outside Reuters
Please see the companywide Code of Conduct. The Reuters Electronic Communications Code permits staff to make incidental personal use of Reuters e-mail and other communications facilities, including the Internet. As members of editorial, however, we have a special responsibility to ensure that there can be no confusion between our professional activities and our private interests or personal opinions. For example, expressions of political opinion or investment advice in e-mails sent on company systems to outside addresses breach our Code of Conduct in so far as they identify Reuters with a cause or position. They can result in disciplinary action, including dismissal.
Other circumstances may arise when similar perceptions of a conflict could occur. A reporter covering the power industry, for example, would be wrong to e-mail a complaint about overcharging to his or her electricity company using Reuters systems. Staff in any doubt about what can appropriately be sent on Reuters e-mail systems should err on the side of caution and use a private e-mail address or consult their manager.
Staff should not conduct private correspondence using company stationery. They should not use their Reuters identity cards or their position as a journalist to obtain benefits and advantages that are not available to the general public. Exceptions include discounts and privileges negotiated by the company for all staff or discounts that are generally available to all journalists in a given country. Here too, however, editorial employees need to recognise the potential for a perceived conflict of interest and should consult their manager if they have doubts. It may be appropriate, for example, for a photographer to obtain a journalists' discount on a particular make of car but a correspondent covering the automobile industry should consult a manager on whether to proceed. Common sense is often the best guide in such cases.
Category: Standards and Values
Standards and Values 22 Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 23 Guide to Operations 24 Text
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 24 Guide to Operations 25 Reporting and Writing Basics
Accuracy must never be sacrificed for speed. If we lose our reputation for accuracy we lose everything. We reinforce to readers our commitment to accuracy by being totally honest about rectifying errors - promptly and openly. Double-check facts, figures, names, dates and spellings. Watch for typographical errors. Make sure the story is fair and balanced, and presented in such a way that it will be seen to be fair and balanced.
Accuracy in Reuters includes accurate "coding" the proper use of "slugs and slugging", using the most appropriate "headline tags" and consistency of style (see the Reuters Style Guide). Accuracy is also more than just getting the facts right - it is getting the right facts, and backing up our interpretation of the facts with authoritative and unimpeachable sourcing.
Contents
• 1 Who do we write for? • 2 Basic story structure • 3 Story essentials • 4 Targeted writing • 5 Tips for good story writing • 6 Get the first two paragraphs right • 7 Make the headline strong • 8 Don't neglect the slug • 9 The 10 key words approach • 10 How long before you reach a crucial word? • 11 Count the words in your first sentence • 12 Tricks of the trade • 13 Some checks for error-free copy • 14 The Attention Editor flag
Who do we write for?
Think about your audience when you are digging for the news as well as when you begin to write. Know the Reuters client base. We write for financial professionals and for well-educated, world-interested, politically and financially aware general readers who often obtain news from several sources. Recognise that the news may be significant for specialist sectors outside your own.
Write alerts for the expert in the target market. Some other stories are written only for the specialist market. But Reuters stories have to travel beyond your own country or market. You will often need a higher level of context and background.
A Reuters story should be written so that a single version of the story can be sent, if necessary, to all relevant products or wires. This means: don't dumb the story down. Your readers are politically and financially aware. It also means don't assume your readers are specialists in the subject you are writing about. Explain technical terms unless your story is uniquely for a specialist audience that understands them and include context to explain the significance of the story.
Guide to Operations 25 Guide to Operations 26 Basic story structure
A good Reuters story gets straight to the point and has all the main elements - including context, background, human interest, colour and descriptive woven in from the top, not just tagged on as an after-thought.
The tried and tested "inverted pyramid" method - ordering the elements of the story in declining order of importance - is hard to beat. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? So What? Answers to all the basic journalistic questions need to be clear to the reader from the first sentence. The story should be written so it is self-contained, no matter where the reader stops or the sub-editor makes the cut.
The story may benefit from what U.S. journalism schools refer to as a "nut graph" in the second or third paragraph summing up the importance of the story (e.g. where a company fits into its business sector).
Generally, the "inverted pyramid" approach works with leads too, with the most important, newest (and therefore newsiest) elements presented first, followed by the supporting details, such as the source. A simple example: a profit result would be presented as rising "to x from y" not "from y to x" (new information first).
Story essentials
Think about the audience you are writing for. Reuters writes primarily for an audience of financial professional and for well educated, world-interested, politically and financially aware general readers. Readers may not be specialists, so don't assume too much.
Ask yourself: Does the story say what it's meant to say? Is it clear and unambiguous?
Make sure the story answers the "so what" question. Does it spell out the risks for those exposed to the new development and does it include the context? If it's a financial story, does it concentrate on investment value? If a general interest story, is the human element highlighted?
Ensure the story is balanced, fair and neutral; watch for phrases that might suggest we are taking sides (e.g. "fears" or "hopes"). Be careful with words like "claimed" and phrases such as "according to" which suggest we doubt what is being said.
Make sure sourcing is clear and precise (see The essentials of Reuters sourcing)
Keep it simple. Use clear, simple language; verbs in the active voice rather than the passive (the bomb "killed" 10 people rather than "left 10 people dead"). Omit needless words (e.g. "21 'different' countries"); "that" can often be dropped (e.g. "He said 'that'â ¦"). Use short words instead of long (e.g. "about" instead of "approximately"). Generally, it's better to add detail, using nouns and verbs, rather than over-do the adjectives.
Back to top
STORY LENGTH
Guide to Operations 26 Guide to Operations 27 Newsbreaks: Newsbreaks should be no more than two paragraphs if the news is unexpected. Write three paragraphs only if the material is so complex that it requires additional background and context or a crucial quote (up to 100 words). Newsbreaks that include pre-written material may run longer, provided this does not compromise snapgaps.
Update 1s to newsbreaks: up to 200 words or about 5 paragraphs. Items longer than 200 words may be cut from the bottom up. Update 1s that include pre-written material may run longer, provided this does not delay the story.
All other stories: The wordage limits below are maximums, not an excuse to write to the limit when a story doesn't deserve it or needs a swift start but is not a newsbreak. Desks will be tough on overwritten copy, even if the wordage falls within the rules, and cut from the bottom up. If a story cannot be cut from the bottom up because it is poorly structured, it will be sent back for a rewrite. This will delay publication.
• Up to 400 words for secondaries, sidebars, and secondary market reports. • Up to 600 words for news stories expected to appear on a top news page or a media wire news schedule; that is trunk stories or major updates, or market reports in significant markets. • Up to 800 words for wrapups, major interviews, analyses and features.
Exceptions: If you believe your story merits longer treatment, or that a longer update is justified, check first with a specialist editor or desk heads.
Note: For convenience, in editing systems that do not have a word count facility, the rule of thumb is that one line of text approximates to 10 words. This however is a guideline - the wordage counts take precedence.
Targeted writing
Good writing must be pitched correctly at its audience. This is at the heart of how we structure a story file, where we put our emphasis, and where we can reduce our effort, while still producing a news file that makes its mark.
This is particularly true for major global stories, where reaction to a news event breaks from multiple datelines. To ensure the leanest, most targeted file, we must focus our efforts in two areas. First, we must provide a well-written, cross-market trunk story. Second, we must provide the quickest, most penetrating market specific reaction in the form of merit alerts and newsbreaks.
We can and should dispense with UPDATES on reaction when it is breaking from multiple points. Instead, we should opt to pull it together in a rolling format, such as an INSTANT VIEW or a FACTBOX and, on merit, a reaction roundup. This will save reporters time, allow the desk to focus on the news rather than the reaction, and help readers navigate through the file. If you think your strand of reaction merits an update, consult with the desk duty editor first.
Guide to Operations 27 Guide to Operations 28 Tips for good story writing
"Tell me something I don't already know" That's what clients want. Look for a new fact, angle, interpretation, reaction and explain the implications, whether you are covering politics, economics, corporate affairs, financial markets, sport or any other news. News does not happen in a vacuum - often the story is "outcome versus expectations" or "outcome versus comparisons". In other words, it's the context that makes the story. For a scheduled news event, make sure you know what's expected and what the risks and implications might be if expectations fall short, or are exceeded. For a scheduled event preparation should start well before the actual news or announcement. This could involve pre-writing of the context, either as a "curtain-raiser" or of material to slot into the story when the time comes.
Get the first two paragraphs right
The first two paragraphs of a news story are crucial. Tell the reader immediately what has happened and why it's important. If you haven't told the story in the first two paragraphs it's too late. A screen-reader will often read no further than the first paragraph - assuming he or she gets by the headline. A newspaper may well cut the story to a couple of paragraphs to make it fit a news-in-brief column. An online service will put just those first two paragraphs on its main page. A bored or confused reader is unlikely to read on. If we haven't told the story, straight away, we may as well have missed it. The lead, or first paragraph, is the key. If you get the lead right, the rest will follow.
Make the headline strong
Financial terminal clients and online readers trade, search and click open on the strength of the headline. If you can write the headline, you can write the lead. If you can write the lead you can write the story. Give headlines the attention they deserve. Too many are dull, and fail to do their job - which is to catch attention and draw the reader into the story. Headlines must be sharp and informative. Use short words and an active verb and avoid unfamiliar abbreviations. Make sure it makes clear where the news is happening e.g. "Central Bank cuts interest rates" - Which central bank? It is better to convey one idea crisply and clearly than to cram in two ideas awkwardly. Stick to the one main point. Don't try to fit in too much or be clever with words and abbreviations. Headlines have only 50 characters, including spaces but excluding tags like UPDATE 1 or ANALYSIS.
Don't neglect the slug
Slugs are made up of two parts - a packaging slug that is the same on all the pieces of a story that belong together and a wild (or flying) extension that describes that particular item. Media customers may use slugs to search for items, so the packaging slug should quickly describe the story in one or two words. A good story slug catches the eye, and should provide a strong pointer to what should appear in your headline and in your first paragraph. For example BC-PHILIPPINES-HOSTAGES/ is a very strong pointer that both Philippines and hostages will appear in the headline and the lead. The format indicates that the entire package of news will be about PHILIPPINES-HOSTAGES and that this item is the lead story, or trunk. Other breaking news items carry an extension to distinguish them from the main story, eg. BC-PHILLPPINES-HOSTAGES/SHOTS.
Guide to Operations 28 Guide to Operations 29 The 10 key words approach
Try making a list of 10 key words without which you simply could not write the story. They don't have to be the exact words you will use in the story. Think more of the facts or concepts which must be there. So a story about oil prices would definitely have the key words oil and prices, but they might be expressed in the story as crude and dollars per barrel. Once you have that list of keywords you have the essence of the story. Most or all should appear in the first sentence. All should appear by the end of the second paragraph.
How long before you reach a crucial word?
This is a variation of the 10 key words approach. Read your lead and then count the number of words you use before you reach the one that is strong and essential and cannot be the thrown away. This is very often the news point. If you go beyond three or four words before reaching that "must have" word then stop and rewrite. You should be hitting strong, essential words very quickly after you start to read the first sentence.
Try this one:
"A Baldonian woman who appeared to be in very poor health while held hostage by Philippine rebels for 12 weeks is remarkably well despite reports that she had contemplated suicide, a doctor said on Tuesday after her return home to Baldonia City."
That's a 42-word intro, and you have to count 13 words before you reach the first word that grabs you: "hostage". You get there much sooner this way: "A Baldonian woman held hostage for 12 weeks by Philippine rebels is remarkably well despite reports she was ill and had contemplated suicide, a doctor said after she returned home on Tuesday." The attention-grabbing word "hostage" is the fifth word and the news point that she is well is reported sooner in the sentence.
Count the words in your first sentence
If there are more than 25, start to get nervous. If there are more than 30 then get very nervous. By the time you reach 40 it's time to break the sentence in two and reach for a full stop. If you reach 50 you've definitely gone too far. Simply breaking the sentence can be a very useful way of shortening your lead. Add a full stop/period half way along and then check that all the most important elements are in the first sentence.
Don't get weighed down by too many details in the lead Shorten and summarise titles and positions. You can be more specific further down. Don't be too specific about geography. Think about whether the reader needs to know this detail this soon. Use only the most telling detail in the lead and give the broad picture. Every story must say when events described occurred. This time element usually, but not always, should be in the first paragraph, but try not to put more than one time element in the lead.
Support your lead with a quote Direct quotes add colour and strength to your story and they prove you have spoken to someone who knows what happened. Try to support your lead by a direct quote by the third or fourth paragraph, and be precise about who said this and where it was said. Listen for that "golden quote" - the one that will best illustrate the main point of the story.
Guide to Operations 29 Guide to Operations 30 People rarely speak eloquently or succinctly. They do not order their facts in a way a journalist would. So use one or two short quotes in a story rather than several long ones. Make sure your quote pushes the story forward rather than simply echoes what you've just written.
Do not write: The hostage was released on Sunday and was in remarkably good health, the doctor said. "She is in remarkably good condition," Joseph Smith said. That is called a "parrot" quote or "echo" quote and bores the reader. Rather, look for a quote that is different and strengthens the lead while pushing the story forward: The hostage was released on Sunday and was in remarkably good health, the doctor said. "I'm very satisfied with her health, but she's tired and suffering from the tension of recent weeks." That reinforces the lead but pushes the story forward.
Avoid "broken" quotes unless the words are unusual, contentious or highly colourful. Bloggs said she was "delighted" to be working with such a "great" boss â ¦ does not need the words between quotes. Bloggs said she was "angry enough to kill" because she was working "with a pathetic excuse for a boss" â ¦ does need the words between quotes.
Quotes can also be used to:
• Catch distinctions and nuances in important passages of speeches and convey some of the flavour of the speaker's language. • Document and support third party statements made in the lead and elsewhere. • Set off controversial material, where the precise wording can be an issue, as in legal contexts.
When using indirect (or reported) speech, instead of direct quotes, sources either say something or they don't. Innuendo is rarely acceptable in news reporting. You should never guess at what a source means. To write in a news story that someone hinted, implied, indicated, suggested, or signalled is to interpret someone's actions, words, or thoughts. This is rarely acceptable.
Tricks of the trade
• Don't leave holes. Don't mention an element without explaining it. If you have just said that this merger will create the second-largest widget maker in the region, don't make the reader wait five paragraphs before revealing who is the largest. • Build blocks. Try to group all the information relating to one element of your story in one block of paragraphs. Do not touch upon an issue in the third paragraph and then come back to it in the eighth. • Write sequentially. Each sentence should connect to the next like a link in a chain. You make a statement, expand on it in the next paragraph, illustrate it with a quote in the third paragraph, and give some figures or background in the fourth paragraph. Then you move on to the next "block" by using a signpost sentence. • Use signposts to let readers know you are moving to the next theme. A signpost or marker can be as simple as a "but" or it can be a short sentence which summarises what follows. • Use "crossheads" to break up the story. Every 200-250 words is a reasonable pace.
Guide to Operations 30 Guide to Operations 31 Some checks for error-free copy
Many corrections can be prevented by checking simple things. Here are some tips to keep errors down before you send your story to the desk:
• Confirm the day of the week and the date. • Check all the numbers - do all the components add up to the total, do individual percentages add up to 100? Double check the period covered, conversions, whether the figure is up or down. Watch for confusion between millions and billions, misplaced decimal points, transposed conversions. Check share prices. • Watch the spelling of proper names and ensure names are spelled consistently throughout the story. • Make sure there is a quote to back up a contentious lead. • Ensure the story gives full company names, full and proper titles, and RICs in both the text and header field. Check that unfamiliar RICs and web site addresses mentioned in the story actually work. • Does the story make clear how we got the information, e.g. newspaper pickup, interview, news conference? • Ensure information in the story agrees with the headline, and if appropriate, the Alert (Bulletin). Are the headline tag and slug correct and appropriate? • Ensure the Unique Story Number (USN) matches that of the Alert (if any). • Check for legal dangers and balance. Does the story cast a slur on the good name of an individual, company or organisation? Does it expose anyone to ridicule, hatred or contempt? Is the story balanced and fair? • Ensure tabular material carries tabular formatting in the header field. • If you file the story to clients, MAKE SURE IT HITS THE SCREEN.
The Attention Editor flag
The warning flag ATTN EDITOR (or ATTN ED) should be included on the comment line of the header field, below the headline, and be added in brackets to the slug of any story that a correspondent thinks may be legally dangerous or may affect the status or reputation of Reuters. (Be aware that when transferring stories from region to region, editing systems may strip off the comment line and headline field). When a story is flagged ATTN EDITOR the reasons should be explained to the editing desk in a separate **service message** to the same codes used to send the story to the desk. The desk receiving such a story should refer it to the editor-in-charge. All reporters must clearly understand when and how to use the ATTN EDITOR flag. See Attention Editor items and Hoaxes for full details.
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 31 Guide to Operations 32 The Drill for Breaking News
Major breaking news is handled by writing an ALERT, followed by a NEWSBREAK, followed by an UPDATE and a SKEDLINE.
Contents
• 1 The Alert • 2 The Newsbreak • 3 Newsbreak content • 4 The Update • 5 Subsequent Updates • 6 The skedline • 7 The drill - making it work
The Alert
The Alert (sometimes called a "snap" or "bulletin") is the highest priority item for Reuters services.
An Alert is:
• Up to 80 characters in length, including spaces, though you may go to 100 characters if clarity is otherwise compromised. • Written entirely in upper case (except for lower case letters in RICs) • Sourced (among rare exceptions: routine corporate results, scheduled economic indicator releases). • Written in the present tense. • Filed at "Priority 1" on System 77 and Decade. • Normally filed without a dateline. But a dateline may be added if the location of the news event is required for clarity and context. The dateline, to be used only in the first of a series of alerts, is separated from the text by a hyphen with a space either side (e.g. NEW YORK - THAI LEADER SAYS...)
The Alert tells the reader the facts with essential detail. File an Alert when you judge that news may move a market or influence client decisions, or that it will be of significant interest to a global readership. Think of it as a long headline with a source. Some stories may need a series of Alerts. News judgment is important when deciding whether to file Alerts. Do not cheapen their value by using them when they are not justified. Clarity is critical, precise sourcing essential. Sources may be omitted only for a regular economic indicator or company result or a scheduled public event. Use simple everyday nouns and active present tense verbs. Avoid slang and jargon. Use known abbreviations.
Example: ZX PLC SAYS CLINICAL TESTS SHOW PROMISE OF RED TOADFLAX COLD CURE
Guide to Operations 32 Guide to Operations 33 The Newsbreak
When a story is hot or preceded by an Alert, the spot news story is upgraded and filed at "Priority 2" in a short Newsbreak (also called an Urgent). Following the Alert or series of Alerts, the Newsbreak puts the facts into context and makes them meaningful. Stories sent "Priority 2" must have the word URGENT in brackets after the slug in the "slugline" if they follow an Alert. The word URGENT may be omitted if the intention is merely to provide a quick start to a story.
Newsbreaks must use the same Unique Story Number as the Alert or Alerts. The Alert and the Newsbreak remain on the screen and they are not replaced with later updates. If a story is unlikely to move a market but still requires a quicker start than "spot story" handling would provide, coverage may start with a Newsbreak, to be followed within 30 minutes maximum by an Update 1.
Most Newsbreaks should be no more than two paragraphs if the news is unexpected. Write three paragraphs only if the material is so complex that it requires additional background and context or a crucial quote (up to 100 words). Newsbreaks that include pre-written material may run longer, provided this does not compromise snap gaps.
Speed is vital. Aim to follow up the Alert by having a Newsbreak on the wire within five minutes - 10 minutes maximum. Expect the desk to chase you if the Alert is not "covered" by the 10-minute deadline. Expect to be asked to explain "snap gaps" of more than 10 minutes. Context is an essential element in any Newsbreak. Alerts tell clients all the market-sensitive details they need. If, after writing the Newsbreak, you have material you think needs to be reported, write a quick UPDATE 1. You can, if necessary, use the same top and same headline, adding the new material at the bottom. There is no need for a Newsbreak to repeat slavishly every detail in a sequence of Alerts if the essential news is adequately covered.
Newsbreak content
A Newsbreak must contain the following elements:
• The main facts, the source and the circumstances (e.g. the IBM chairman at a news conference) and the time element. • Answer the "So what?" question, i.e. they must put the news in its context. They must start telling the story, signal significance, give comparisons, and include market reaction if this is instant. • An authoritative quote is desirable. But don't hold up the Newsbreak if you don't have a quote.
On a predictable/scheduled event, reporters should prepare by writing background for inclusion in the Newsbreak and canvassing sources on the likely outcomes. They should have a quote ready for each. Make sure you say he or she spoke before the event if you use a pre-prepared quote.
Example:
BC-COLD-CURE/ZX (URGENT) ZX says cold cure trials show promise LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - ZX Plc chairman Vulcan Sunburster said on Monday that clinical trials had been promising in the British-based pharmaceutical company's quest for a remedy for the Zeta strain of common cold.
Guide to Operations 33 Guide to Operations 34 "We are prudent about a drug just yet for the Zeta strain of cold virus but phase two clinical trials show real promise with Red Toadflax. It looks good," Sunburster said in a statement after the release of the company's half-year results.
The Update
An Update is a story aimed at carrying forward an earlier report by weaving together fresh developments, reaction, added context and interpretation, analysis and background. The word UPDATE is used as a tag in the headline and appears in the "slugline" in brackets. The first Update in the series would be UPDATE 1, the next UPDATE 2 etc.
The Update is often called a "lead" in the newsroom ("Lead" or "lede" can also be a synonym for an intro - the opening paragraph of a news story). Use a new Unique Story Number for the Update and retain it throughout the Update series.
UPDATE 1s to Newsbreaks should be no more than about 200 words or about five or six paragraphs, unless they are based on pre-written material. They should be filed to clients within 30 minutes of the Newsbreak. If the story is a major one and subsequent updates are filed, they should be no more than 600 words in length.
Example:
BC-COLD-CURE/ZX-SHARES (UPDATE 1) UPDATE 1-ZX shares soar on cold cure hope (Writes through adding analysis, quotes) By Penny Wort
LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Shares in British drugs firm ZX Plc soared 25 percent on Monday after it said that new clinical trials buoyed hopes it may find a cure for the Zeta strain of common cold using a rare herb called Red Toadflax.
The shares hit 10.50 pounds despite only a modest increase in interim profits on the possibility of a drug for the Zeta cold bug that hit the world at the dawn of a new millennium with a pandemic of debilitating coughs and sneezes.
"We are prudent about a drug just yet for the Zeta strain of cold virus but phase two clinical tests show real promise with Red Toadflax. It looks good," ZX Chairman Vulcan Sunburster said in a statement after the release of half-year results.
ZX first half pre-tax profits to June 30 at 302 million pounds ($455 million) were virtually unchanged from 293 million in the same period of last year. Sales were up 12 percent at 1.27 billion pounds and the interim dividend was steady at two pence.
Just 18 months ago ZX spent $300 million buying Dutch company GrasGroen NV which had begun work on Red Toadflax, an old folk remedy, to treat the Zeta strain of cold.
Pharmaceuticals analyst Manx Sheerwater at brokers Thorn Grass Tare called the latest announcement a bombshell. "Everyone believes that Sunburster had a touch of gold. If he is happy on Red Toadflax they'll bet their shirts," Sheerwater said.
Guide to Operations 34 Guide to Operations 35 Subsequent Updates
An UPDATE may be refreshed as the story develops, or when fresh reaction comes in e.g. THAILAND-KING/ (UPDATE 2), THAILAND-KING/ (UPDATE 3) etc.
UPDATE X- is also used as the headline tag (e.g. UPDATE 4-Thai monarch orders â ¦).
There should be an ADVISORY LINE under the headline telling readers what has been updated (e.g. "Adds king's quotes in third paragraph").
An UPDATE should always have the latest available information and analysis. Remember: When writing a fresh UPDATE, the latest information is not always the most important. You may twin it with the key point from the earlier story or leave the lead unchanged and incorporate the fresh information lower down. You do not need to change the wording of the lead if it is still the strongest news point and is not outdated.
Fresh UPDATES must retain the factual material in earlier stories to ensure there is no loss of content when stories are deleted and to enable us to correct any errors in previous copy. All the meat that was in an UPDATE 3, for example, should be included in UPDATE 4 (and 5 etc).
Make sure the UPDATE that follows the Newsbreak has a different Unique Story Number (USN) from the Newsbreak. The UPDATE should not replace the Newsbreak. However, subsequent UPDATES will replace the previous Update in the series. At the end of the day, what will be on the screen are the Alerts (if any), the Newsbreak (or first story in the series) and the final UPDATE (plus and sidebars, analysis etc).
Usually, an UPDATE series would start again at midnight local time with a spot story, followed by an UPDATE 1. And so on. Use common sense. If there's a plane crash at 11:15 at night and you've got an UPDATE 1 out at 11:45 it might look a bit odd and confusing to readers in other time zones to revert to a new series at 12.10. Look for a natural break when you can start the series again.
The skedline
Send a Skedline or "Next" to the desk, advising how you plan to develop the story with more updates - perhaps also an analysis, newsmaker or sidebar. A Skedline is an entry on a news schedule, a tool that media clients use to see what is on the news agenda, but it also allows our own editors to see where you intend to take the story.
The drill - making it work
The Alert/Newsbreak/Update drill for major stories is designed to help us get information out quickly on breaking news. With scheduled events such as earnings releases, economic indicators, speeches and news conferences, we can also prepare. Here are some tips:
• Pre-write as much background and context as possible. The task then is just to write a lead and perhaps slot in a key quote. • Desks can often help write the UPDATES, leaving reporters to get on with reporting.
Guide to Operations 35 Guide to Operations 36
• Double-staff key events or have two people monitoring a major televised speech. They can hand off to each other on writing sets of Alerts that they cover with Newsbreaks and then fold into an Update. • Do not allow separate series to proliferate. Most stories do not require more than a single trunk story, updated as needed. Do not do an UPDATE 1 to each Newsbreak unless they are totally different stories. • Remember to consult the desk and to keep editors abreast of your plans for UPDATES by sending skedlines and talking to them.
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 36 Guide to Operations 37 Other Common Story Forms
General points
• ALL headlines on all types of stories have a maximum length of 50 characters, including spaces but excluding headline tags. All stories except Alerts must have a headline. • ALL stories except Alerts must have a slug. • ALL types of stories can be updated by adding the UPDATE headline tag (e.g. UPDATE 1-NEWSMAKER-Blairâ ¦") and adding the UPDATE note to the slug line (e.g. BRITAIN-BLAIR/NEWSMAKER (UPDATE 1, PICTURE...). • ALL stories, including Tables, Instant Views and market reports, should be filed in one page (or "take") except in cases of extreme length (e.g. a TEXT item or Diary) where there may be system limitations. When reopening such a story, use exactly the same slug but add an =2, =3 etc to the headline (which can be shortened to accommodate). Ensure the header field of the story is filled in to show the story has not been closed off.
Contents
• 1 Analysis • 2 Blogging • 3 Brights or Odds • 4 Buy or Sell • 5 Chronology • 6 Column • 7 Curtainraisers and holding stories • 8 Dealtalk • 9 Diaries • 10 Factbox • 11 Feature • 12 Instant View • 13 Highlights ♦ 13.1 Production: ♦ 13.2 XRefs ♦ 13.3 Taking Quotes • 14 Interview • 15 Newsmaker/Obituary • 16 Overnight stories ♦ 16.1 A story that acts as a bridge between two days ♦ 16.2 A story that gives a fresh take on news already in • 17 Poll (Polling) • 18 Covering other organisations' polls: • 19 Q&A • 20 Scenario boxes • 21 Secondary • 22 Sidebar • 23 Snap analysis • 24 Snapshot • 25 Spot story
Guide to Operations 37 Guide to Operations 38
• 26 Table • 27 Text • 28 Top News summaries • 29 Witness • 30 Wrapup
[edit] Analysis
We must analyse news as it happens, making analysis part of breaking news. What we know, or have been told by sources, about context, risk or changing market or investment value should be woven immediately into our stories. Real-time analysis adds depth to breaking news. Information users are under increasing pressure to take a view on events as soon as they occur so what is likely to happen is often more important for clients than what has already happened. Markets especially need to reassess the value of an investment as soon as breaking news affects it. The changed value assessment is part of the news. A separate story that takes the ANALYSIS tag is a forward-looking insight into a trend or development. It should be an informative, in-depth look at an issue for a specialist or cross-asset readership. Analysis does not always need a spot news hook - many of our strongest analysis stories do not have one. It does need to be fresh. Don't write the story everyone else has already written. See also snap analysis
An Analysis stems from the writer's authority and expertise in the subject area but is not a vehicle for personal view (see "COLUMN"). It should usually pursue an angle or line of argument, based on facts or data. Don't be afraid to be contrarian, provided your story shows you have done your homework on facts and you have tested your theory by quoting authoritative sources. Be prepared to to be challenged by editors. All reporters must be able to handle an Analysis. It is part of their job.
"Analysts were divided on Friday about what this means" may be news but it is not Analysis. An Analysis should show, not tell. Assemble the facts before you start writing so your story can be long on facts, short on the opinions of analysts. Sometimes an accompanying FACTBOX can be an effective extra device to help tell a story involving a raft of complex facts or data.
Good Analysis pieces should identify a trend or a development and examine what is likely to happen next and what impact it will have. Rambling discourses that are mere extensions of the hard news cannot be described as Analysis.
On investment issues, an Analysis must not just give the reader insight into where an asset price may be headed but use real metrics - such as valuation measures or historical performance -- to illustrate the point.
An Analysis should reflect the expertise, knowledge and contacts - but not the opinions - of the specialist correspondent. Except in the most exceptional circumstances (in countries where sources dare not speak freely) Analysis should include authoritative named sources.
An Analysis should be no more than 800 words, but exceptionally can go longer with approval from the specialist editor or desk head. Pitch ideas to your editor before you start work. An Analysis should not be written without prior approval from a regional specialist editor or his/her deputy.
Guide to Operations 38 Guide to Operations 39 [edit] Blogging
Blogging is an informal approach to content creation that has evolved in response to Web users' need for a simple publishing tool giving maximum engagement with readers. Blogging is by nature a flexible format and there are few rules governing its use. Reuters journalists blog to trigger discussions on topical issues, point to the most interesting material on a subject elsewhere on the Web, take readers behind the scenes of our newsgathering, solicit questions for interviews, and to add colour, anecdote and angles that don't make it into our other story types. In addition, blogging is the easiest way we have of handling multimedia story-telling and some Reuters journalists produce video blogs, also known as 'vlogs'.
A Reuters blogger should:
• Be interesting. • Be conversational: raise questions, invite contributions, discuss what's happening on other blogs, leave some loose ends, and respond to comments made by readers. • Link to external sites with relevant information • Monitor other bloggers in the same space and attempt to build reciprocal links with them. • Tag posts so that they are easy for search engines to find. • Inject some personality into their posts and include observation and anecdote. • Make use of multimedia whenever possible and think about a post's layout. • Credit the original source of all content embedded in posts. • Make sure posts are seen by a second pair of eyes before publication. • Ask desks to place a link to their blog/post on relevant stories.
A Reuters blogger should not:
• Be opinionated. You are free to make observations, ask questions and make an argument, but blogging in Reuters is not a license to vent personal views. You are still bound by the Trust Principles. • Respond in anger to comments that appear on posts. • End each post with the line, 'tell us what you think'. If you have a specific question for readers then ask it, otherwise let the comments box do the work for you. • Knowingly link to material that infringes copyright. • Have the colour and personality subbed out of their posts • Take an idea or insight from another blogger or site without acknowledgement.
Reuters use of blogging is constantly evolving and up-to-date guidance on how blogs are being used is available on the blogging wiki at http://wiki.ime.reuters.com/index.php/Blogging
[edit] Brights or Odds
A "bright" or "odd" is a story that we report above all because it is funny, quirky or bizarre. A "bright" may also be poignant or sad and invariably involves people. It is the sort of story we would not
Guide to Operations 39 Guide to Operations 40 bother covering if the details were not so unusual. Such stories lighten our file, are fun to write and go down very well with clients. They should carry the ODD slug and topic code. As a rule of thumb, the ODD slug and code should go hand in hand - don't use one without the other.
Sometimes, hard news stories contain elements that happen to be bizarre or unusual but we write these stories for more serious reasons. The first claim to have created a cloned human being came from a company, Clonaid, which is linked to a group that believes aliens cloned the first humans. That is bizarre, but it is not why we covered the story. These stories are not "brights" and should not carry the ODD slug or topic code. The best "brights" virtually write themselves. If you have to agonise over the first paragraph, the chances are that the story does not make it. You may need a catchy headline and neat turn of phrase to "sell" the story, but don't strain for effect. Good "brights" are almost always so funny, unusual, poignant or offbeat that they can be told straight without adjectives and adverbs. Most good "brights" can be told in under 200 words - a decent amount of space in any newspaper or on any Web site. They work best with a telling quote and often end with a quote or a humorous detail. "Brights" must be properly sourced and must be tasteful. Before writing your "bright", ask yourself whether it will interest a foreign reader. Some offbeat stories only work in a given culture or language. Make sure your story doesn't leave questions in the reader's mind.
[edit] Buy or Sell
A Buy or Sell is a story that offers two credible views at opposite ends of an investment spectrum. It could be about an individual stock, a sector or an entire asset class. It's short, lively and full of insightful quotes and data. The opposing views and sourcing will make it clear that Reuters itself is not making an investment recommendation.
The views should be from credible people, those who run a lot of money, work for a prestigious investment house or have a strong track record in their market. The quotes should be substantive, sharp and colourful. Views should include specific trade ideas wherever possible. For example, the best way to get such bearish exposure is to buy puts at between x and y, said ABC investor. These are not Instant Views or summaries of research. They should be based on interviews with market participants who hold strong views. Be flexible. If it makes sense to have four voices instead of two then go ahead, but don't let it destroy the clarity of the argument.
All Buy or Sells should use the BUYSELL/ named item code, and include a line at the top: (For more Reuters Buy or Sells click [BUYSELL/]). Slugs should be BUYSELL/XXX
[edit] Chronology
A Chronology is a form of sidebar listing in chronological order events related to a major news story. Keep entries to the essentials, usually no more than 10 key dates with a line or two on each. Many chronologies and individual entries are far too long. Customers want information they can use, not the history of the world. Start with the oldest information first.
A chronology does not carry a dateline but begins e.g. May 6 (Reuters) - The name of the person who compiled it and the location must be in the signoff line at the bottom of the item.
Guide to Operations 40 Guide to Operations 41 [edit] Column
A Reuters column is a showcase for the expertise and insight of seasoned journalists who use the format to bring fresh perspectives and novel thinking to their area of specialist coverage. Columns offer extra value to our audiences by challenging assumptions, bringing clarity where there is confusion and by casting doubt on comfortable orthodoxies.
A column is distinct from the rest of the news file in that the author is licensed to express a point of view. Each must carry a disclaimer at the top, above the byline, making clear the views they contain are not those of Reuters.
They should contain a strong argument that is properly reasoned and backed up with facts and solid reporting. They should not be politically or ideologically partisan, nor should they contain invective. The column's argument should be such that if challenged it can be defended robustly and sensibly by the author.
Once appointed to cover a sector or topic columnists are free to decide their own subject matter, but close collaboration and consultation with a senior supervising editor is essential. Since columns are the work of an individual, variations between them in tone and style are welcome. They are slugged COLUMN-XX/ and take the headline tag COLUMN. Columns should only be written by dedicated columnists. The appointment of a columnist needs the approval of the Editor-in-Chief.
[edit] Curtainraisers and holding stories
Curtainraisers by definition are written ahead of set-piece events - meetings, visits, elections, trials, earnings, speeches etc. They carry the PREVIEW tag in the headline and (PREVIEW) after the slug. In addition to relevant topic codes for screen clients, they are also filed with a PRE topic code. If they are written in a newsworthy fashion, they stand a chance. Otherwise, clients are quite content to get the programmatic information (what, when, where, who, for how long) from our diaries and outlooks or, on a really major event, from a factbox or special advisory listing dates and times. So the basic message is: there is no such thing in Reuters as a routine curtainraiser. If your curtainraiser is going to read like an extended diary entry, then drop it. Don't do a curtainraiser if no discernible news is going to emerge from the event. You probably are not going to need a formal curtainraiser if news is breaking regularly in the run-up to an event. A heated election campaign in its final week, for example, obviates the need for a curtainraiser if you are writing about the campaign on most days.
In all cases, consult your regional desk about your plans, including when to file.
Question the news value of any curtainraiser when you consider writing one and question whoever asks you for one about the news value. Keep it tight. Screen clients want a heads-up on what is going to happen. Media customers have a premium on space for news that has not happened yet.
Let the news, rather than the event's mechanics, tell the story. You should not stretch for an angle, but you must make your curtainraiser meaningful. Link the event you are previewing to the context in which it takes place, the related issues and the likely outcome (or lack of it). Dig for real news and talk to quotable sources to give the curtainraiser depth. A standard curtainraiser should be filed 2-3 days before the event and tell the story in a maximum of 600 words, although shorter is better. The very latest a curtainraiser should be filed is noon your desk's time on the day before the event. If
Guide to Operations 41 Guide to Operations 42 you file a curtainraiser on the day of the event, you invite the spike. There is strong interest among online sites and broadcasters, usually in your own time zone, in stories filed overnight to set up something that is going to happen during the coming 24 hours.
These items give customers a head start and give you a basis on which to build your story, and thus get it out faster, when the news happens. As with curtainraisers, you should consult your regional desk about your plans.
No curtainraiser or holding story should be issued during daylight hours on the day of the event. It is a waste of effort and a wasted opportunity. Obviously, if it emerges for the first time in the morning that an event will take place later in the day and reporting it is newsworthy, you should write a story. Equally, if you have filed an overnight holding story and something newsworthy happens ahead of the event, you should update the story with the fresh news. As with all UPDATEs there should be an ADVISORY LINE under the headline telling readers what has been updated (e.g. "Adds king's quotes in third paragraph")
[edit] Dealtalk
DEALTALK is a story form that provides exclusive details and insight on takeover, capital-raising or financial industry developments. Such stories stories are extremely popular with our core financial clients and demonstrate our expertise and access.
DEALTALK is a perfect outlet for incremental developments in an ongoing transaction. It could be (well-sourced) banker gossip about the real story behind a deal. M&A is always tricky, because nothing is final until it's really final. DEALTALK gives us a forum to report what we're hearing as a deal progresses.
A few examples of stories that might warrant a DEALTALK: We hear from sources that terms are changing on a deal, or that bankers or buyers are getting cold feet. On an IPO, we hear that book-building is going poorly and that bankers are discussing cutting the offer price. We may hear that a deal was a success but left bad feelings on one side.
We should write DEALTALK in a punchy, conversational tone and with an edge. We can take a view, as long as it's supported by facts and quotes. We don't need to bog the lede down with, "â ¦sources said on Thursdayâ ¦" as long as the sourcing is clear lower down. We do need to be wary of banker spin. Dealmakers have agendas, so we need to be sure all viewpoints are represented and that we're not being manipulated by someone with a vested interest.
• DEALTALK is always exclusive. We will not write one from a press release or event. • DEALTALK always includes investment banks or other financial players. • DEALTALK is well-sourced and authoritative. • DEALTALK is timely, well-written and engaging.
All DEALTALKs should use the DEALTALK named item code, and include a line at the top: ((For more Reuters DEALTALKs, click [DEALTALK/]). Slugging should be DEALTALK/XXX (the xx's being the subject).
Guide to Operations 42 Guide to Operations 43 [edit] Diaries
The international Diaries Desk assembles the most important items from national diaries into subject-matter diaries. National diaries should include the news codes DIA and CAL. DIA is a live code. Do not include DIA in a service message because that would take it to screen clients.
Queries to Diaries Desk should be sent CAL LON. CAL takes the diary/service message to the CALENDAR basket, which the Diaries Desk monitors. Bureaux must mark new or amended entries in national diaries with an asterisk*. Otherwise the Diaries Desk, trawling through thousands of entries, cannot know if this is a new entry. Stories announcing upcoming events such as a state visit should also be coded CAL to allow the desk to create an entry swiftly.
Diary events should be added to national diaries as soon as possible. Clients are grateful for an early warning and Reuters Editors want to know about events as early as possible for internal news planning. Diaries are either text or tabular entries. For examples of Reuters diaries, key in IND/DIARY on your Reuters 3000Xtra.
[edit] Factbox
A Factbox offers a way to present information clearly and comparatively, particularly for events such as corporate mergers. The format may vary according to the subject matter but the essential issue is that they should be short, graphic, written primarily in bulletpoint form and easy on the eye.
Basic general news background factboxes on people, countries and issues can normally run at a maximum of five key facts. Other factboxes, for example on a corporate boardroom battle or complex political procedure, may need to be done in a Q&A (Question and Answer) format. Economic and financial news lends itself to a tabular format in the factbox, listing such issues as market capitalisation, interest rate progression and various comparatives.
One possible application for P+G reporters is to look at which industry or market sectors are affected by a sudden event or policy change. The headline for such a box would be: FACTBOX-What sectors are affected by xxxx
A factbox does not have location in the dateline but begins e.g. May 6 (Reuters) -
The name of the person who compiled it and the location must be in the signoff line at the bottom
[edit] Feature
A story that takes the FEATURE tag is an insight into a trend or an issue or personality. It must be accompanied by illustrative material such as a picture, graphic, video or factbox. It is either topical or a compelling issue that would otherwise go unreported. It enlightens the reader about that trend or issue or personality in a broad context. It uses specific examples to illustrate that trend or issue and puts them in a broad framework that allows the social, economic, corporate and/or political implications to shine through, whether sectoral, national or global. A feature is essentially cross-sectoral i.e. it should appeal to anyone in a global audience of financially aware, intelligent readers. A feature should be no more than 800 words, but exceptionally can go longer with approval from a Features Editor.
Guide to Operations 43 Guide to Operations 44 A Feature gives a correspondent the chance to report in depth and against a more relaxed deadline. Features must conform like any other story with the Reuters values of accuracy, objectivity and precise sourcing. Readability is the key but reporters who think good colour writing means lacing copy with an excess of adjectives are wrong.
Make sure you are telling readers something they do not already know. Look for a newsworthy subject. Work hard on an eye-catching first paragraph.
A Feature is an example of the kind of story in which a "soft" intro may, with skill, find a place on all services. There should be no editorialising. Give the date when something happened e.g. "at a conference on March 21", so the story has some shelf life. Feature writers MUST ensure that they have approval for an outline of the story from a Features Editor before proceeding. The Features Editors can help arrange visual or text material to enrichen a feature in ways that make it particularly valuable to online and screen clients. But talk with your local picture and television colleagues as well. Sometimes the Features Editor will commission a series of text features to explore a theme or issue.
The word FEATURE is the headline tag. The slugline should carry an addition in brackets categorising the type of Feature by the most appropriate subject, e.g.:
• (SCIENCE FEATURE, PICTURE) • (POLITICAL FEATURE, PICTURE) • (BUSINESS FEATURE, PICTURE) • (SPORTS FEATURE, PICTURE) • (ENVIRONMENT FEATURE, PICTURE) etc
[edit] Instant View
There are two types of Instant View. They are designed to provide clients with rapid reaction from analysts and major decision makers to a significant political or financial spot breaking news story OR a diarised event, such as an economic indicator release.
Both carry the headline tag INSTANT VIEW and must carry a slug (e.g. AUSTRALIA-ECONOMY/BUDGET-VIEW (INSTANT VIEW)).
The first type compiles the views, in direct quotes, of no fewer than three analysts. It should be updated, as a normal story would be, as each new entry is added. It begins with a dateline and short note describing the event or figures being analysed. Write the name, title and organisation for each commentator in upper case above his/her quote, separated by commas.
The first entry of every Instant View on economic or financial news should reach screens within 15 minutes of the event, and the series must be completed within 30 minutes. If you have interesting views from analysts that are worth filing separately but which were obtained after the permitted 15-minute gap, use the tag ANALYSTS' VIEW.
With general and political news, the INSTANT VIEW should remain updated for up to two hours and then become a FACTBOX of the 10 or so best quotes.
The purpose of the second type of Instant View is to give a one-stop shop for clients directly after
Guide to Operations 44 Guide to Operations 45 data or a news event. Customers should not have to flick between items to get the whole story and the Instant is the quickest way we have to pull it all together.
The essence of these pieces is speed, so aim on big events to land them as quickly as possible. We have at most a 15-20 minute window after an event during which the market will be paying attention.
This second type of INSTANT VIEW should look like this: INSTANT VIEW 1- Ruritania industrial production rises REUTERS, Oct 1, 2004 - Ruritania industrial production rose 1.4 percent in August from July, more than expected and reinforcing a view among analysts that interest rates could rise soon. Production was 9.2 percent higher in the year through August, compared with a 7.8 percent rise in the year through July.
Key points
August July August Forecast Change vs. prior month 1.4 % 0.8 % 0.9 % Change vs. year earlier 9.2 % 7.8 % 8.8 %
• Ruritania statistics official says strong auto production boosted August output • Analysts say data cements the case for a rate rise at November central bank meeting
Commentary:
JOHN Q. PUNDIT, ANALYST, PROSPEROUS BANK, RURITANIA: "We thought the number was on the high side and it definitely means the central bank will want to tighten at the next meeting."
JOE H. MONEYMAKER, TRADER, INTERNATIONAL BANK, RURITANIA: "This obviously shows that the economy is firing on all cylinders. Ruritania interest rates will clearly be going up again now.: "The auto numbers show that consumer demand is showing no sign of easing. : The central bank will want to take action sooner than later."
Market Reaction:
• Dollar at 8.70 ruros vs. 8.95 before data. Ruro gets immediate boost from increased speculation of an imminent interest rate rise.
Links:
• For more data, the Ruritania statistics Web site is http://www.rurostats.org.rr/dt/=misc • For all ruro news and data, 3000 Xtra users can click on:
Background:
Guide to Operations 45 Guide to Operations 46
• The Ruritania economy has been growing at a 6-8 percent rate for the past few years and analysts say this is unsustainable if the central bank is to meet its inflation target • With the exception of retail sales, most of the past two months economic figures have come in on the high side of expectations. ((Ruritania newsroom +123 456 7890))
[edit] Highlights
The Highlights format is an effective way to get key quotes and facts to clients during a fast-moving news event, such as the unveiling of a budget, a monetary policy news conference or international policy events such as the G7/IMF meetings. It get news to clients quickly without forcing them to scan multiple small stories. Instead of filing urgents after alerts the snaps are covered with an XREF which directs clients to the HIGHLIGHTS item.
This format should not be confused with World News Highlights, which are summaries of the top political and general news stories produced several times a day, sometimes by editing desks, sometimes automatically.
The Highlights format can also be used when people speak at different times, such as finance ministers at a high-level meeting. Subscribers find direct quotes very valuable. Highlights are not necessarily a substitute for a story. But if there is a key news development, break it out into an urgent. If it is a story evolving more slowly, you can wait until the end to write an update. Reporters should consult the relevant editing desk in advance if they propose to use the Highlights format, and take the desk's guidance on when to write the story.
Format
DATELINE, Feb 31 (Reuters) - Following is a selection of comments from European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet's testimony to the European Parliament on Thursday.
The intro can be turned into a news lead as the event unfolds:
For Example
DATELINE, Feb xx (Reuters) - Business must learn to live with a strong currency and cannot expect relief from policymakers, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet told parliament on Thursday. Following are highlights of Trichet's twice-yearly testimony before the European Parliament.
• Add: THIS ITEM WILL BE UPDATED at the end. • Use sub heads such as RATES, INFLATION, FX to group ideas • In the header field, put an R in the left hand side to refresh. HIGHLIGHTS should be refreshed frequently. • Snaps are covered by an XREF, which allows subscribers to access the rolling HIGHLIGHTS through a double-click box. • Change the USN frequently in a long series of snaps, so that if there is a correction, the whole sequence does not have to be repeated. • Don't forget to use the HIGHLIGHTS tag at the start of the headline and give the item a slug
Guide to Operations 46 Guide to Operations 47 with HIGHLIGHTS in brackets.
[edit] Production:
Using HIGHLIGHTS during a live news conference is fast and effective but labour intensive. One person files the snaps with a second person checking; you might need at least three people to provide quotes, depending on the event; a sub editor compiles and files the HIGHLIGHTS; and ideally yet another files XREF's to the snaps.
Editing Desks:
• Publish the first version as quickly as possible. File updates to the same USN with R to overwrite • Insert new information at the top, saying "LATEST QUOTES" and below that "EARLIER QUOTES" divided by subject and/or by speaker • Try to keep the more important news at the top of the "EARLIER QUOTES" section • Capitalise the sub heads; the shorter the better • Clean it up when the event ends to put the most important information at the top and remove THIS ITEM WILL BE UPDATED • Watch length, with 130 lines the maximum for one take. Bear in mind that not every snap has to be slavishly covered.
[edit] XRefs
Set up the format well in advance. Text should describe the event where the person was speaking and provide a click through to the USN of the Highlights. "For quotes from Mr. Big's speech before the Big Business Association on Tuesday, Feb 31, please double click on [xxxxxxxxx] (USN) File WITHOUT a headline. If you need to change something in an XREF that has already been filed, use "O" not "R" or you will lose all of the snaps.
[edit] Taking Quotes
Be selective. Focus on the key quotes rather than trying to provide a complete transcript. If something is interesting but lengthy and has no snap, then paraphrase. If the speaker is responding to a question then include the question when it is essential to provide context. But use judgment and paraphrase the question for brevity. A brief summary such as DOLLAR OVERVALUED? is faster and more effective.
[edit] Interview
Interviews with decision makers and people in the news are an important part of the Reuters file and
Guide to Operations 47 Guide to Operations 48 support our reputation by conveying exclusivity. We should reserve the use of INTERVIEW in the slugline and headline tag for substantive interviews with subjects of note and not debase it by applying it to accounts of a few questions shouted at someone in a scrum of reporters. INTERVIEW can also be used for fund management executives or star fund managers who have a major claim to fame, but not for views from fund managers.
It is essential to prepare well for an interview and to advise photographers and Reuters Video News, which may want to do the same interview. The story should say the interview subject "told Reuters" or "said in an interview".
Outstanding interviews with major figures may also use the EXCLUSIVE tag, which is reserved for stories of exceptional significance that are obtained solely by Reuters. Strong interviews of major importance may additionally be reported after the story has been written as a TEXT of Q&A excerpts. This item must repeat all the quotes, with questions, used in the main story and must also carry additional questions and answers, which may be edited. The questions and answers should be written in order.
[edit] Newsmaker/Obituary
It is invariably best to write a FACTBOX on a newsworthy individual of five key facts before writing a NEWSMAKER or OBITUARY. A standalone obituary is usually only worth writing in the case of the death of a major international figure. In most cases, a spot story laced with obituary material and a FACTBOX will suffice.
A profile is often written to a topical news peg. We use the tag NEWSMAKER in the headline and in brackets in the slugline. Aim for 300 to 600 words, making clear high up why this person is in the news. An OBITUARY is a Newsmaker written when the subject has died. The Newsmaker needs to be a self-contained pen-portrait. Subjects may be leading figures in politics, business, sport, arts and entertainment, science and other fields.
Aim for comprehensiveness. Personal details are essential, as are precise dates. The top half of a profile should contain a concise summary of the main points of the subject's claim to fame, with a minimum of biographical detail. The rest of the profile should review his or her career chronologically. Think colour and descriptive. Bureaux should keep Newsmakers (profiles) on prominent personalities on file and with the regional desk and the editorial reference unit. They are often needed quickly. Keeping the store regularly up to date helps when the pressure is on.
[edit] Overnight stories
An overnight story or "overnighter" should be reserved for a story that is likely to appear on a top news page or the world news schedule. It takes no special tag. In all cases, consult your regional editing desk on when one is needed. Question the news value of an overnighter when you consider writing one and question anyone who asks you for one about the news value. Keep it tight. Normal length rules apply, but the shorter the better.
Guide to Operations 48 Guide to Operations 49 You could well be pretty tired when you sit down to write one. Don't hang around the bureau until late to write it if all the facts are in and you can write the story by mid-evening. Getting out a quality overnighter is of value to customers and rewarding for bureaux, so plan ahead to leave enough gas in the tank to be able to craft a good one. If a fresh writer is available to do it, so much the better.
An overnighter should not be mistaken for a holding story - a tight story you may want to issue overnight on an event that will happen later in the same news day.
It's a confusing concept since we are a 24-hour news service. It is less confusing if you approach the overnighter with a view that you are providing the story primarily for a reader in a different time zone. If they are done well, overnighters help a screen client in a place where day is breaking to read in. Newspapers where it is late afternoon will use them in their next edition if they provide a fresh take. Web sites want them to freshen their news categories at any time of day. An overnighter is:
[edit] A story that acts as a bridge between two days
You may have a big story on your patch on Tuesday and know that there is more to come on Wednesday. There may also be a big story that is moving around datelines in different time zones and needs to be taken into a new news day. In both cases, the overnighter acts as a "bridge" between two news days and in an ideal world should throw the story forward. It may not be worth the bother if the most recent update went out an hour before the date change and there is no "throw forward" angle that is stronger. Don't strain for a sexy lead or a "today" angle if you don't have one. Writing "Rescuers tore through the rubble of the national parliament in a desperate search for survivors of a bomb attack that killed 36 people" is not going to win you readers if the hardest news point is still the bomb attack. Similarly, "Manchukistan braced for fresh violence â ¦: or "A miners' strike entered its second day â ¦" or "The president prepared to â ¦" are all artificial constructs and will probably turn people off.
[edit] A story that gives a fresh take on news already in
There is no point writing "A plane crash killed 86 peopleâ ¦" in an overnighter if the crash occurred many hours earlier and all the facts are clear. People already know that. The "fresh take" approach works best on stories where all the facts are in, but it can also be an effective way to write a "bridging" overnighter if there is no obvious throw-forward angle. One fresh approach is to ask "why" and write a more analytical piece. Or you may want to lead the overnighter on a strong human interest angle. You may also have gathered details or sidebar material in the course of the day's reporting that you did not have space or time for. Consider using one or more of those elements for a fresh take in the overnighter. An overnighter takes its own USN.
Guide to Operations 49 Guide to Operations 50 [edit] Poll (Polling)
Polling is a growth industry across the media, playing to the desire to know "what the others are thinking". Reuters polls are popular with our clients, helping to strengthen the Reuters brand. Only stories on Reuters polls should have the POLL tag and the word in brackets after the slug.
Every poll story we run is an exclusive. Reuters produces polls on a variety of subjects but often they cover financial market expectations. When we report that an economic indicator or a company result was above, below or in line with expectations, how do we know? As often as not it is because a Reuters poll established the consensus view beforehand. Polls linked to a set event in the future - announcement of company results, publication of economic data, country election etc - should carry a PRE topic code. Polls on company earnings should take an EARNINGS POLL tag in the headline and in brackets after the slug.
How to poll:
• Chose a subject. It can be short term, such as economic data due next week, or long term, such as where analysts expect a stock index to end the year. It doesn't have to be a pure numbers game. You could, for instance, ask analysts to rate the performance of your central bank governor or finance minister. • Set your questions. They must be clear, unambiguous and fair. Leading questions, aimed at getting a pre-ordained answer, have no place in Reuters polls. • Find respondents. Make sure they're bona fide, know what they're talking about and are willing to take part. • Collect responses. This can be done by phone, e-mail or fax. You can usually get responses out of analysts relatively easily but polling decision makers or celebrities is much harder and time consuming. • Analyse the responses. Bring the numbers to life with stories. Get people to justify their forecasts or views. Establishing the consensus view, if there is one, should be the target. That can be done in many ways such as calculating a mean average or median forecast for next month's inflation rate. The median, the middle forecast if you line them all up in a row, is usually preferable to the mean because it is generally less liable to distortion by forecasts which are way out of line. You should also publish the highest and lowest forecasts and the number of forecasts. Another option is the mode, which is the most frequently cited response. Excel can calculate all this for you. • Don't ignore the mavericks. This month's minority view can become next month's conventional wisdom. Watch out for changes in expectations; why do economists now expect an interest rate cut soon whereas last month they ruled one out? • Publish. Say when your poll was conducted as timing can influence views. Was your interest rate survey taken before or after the shock rise in inflation? The faster you publish, the less likely you'll be overtaken by events. Run individual responses when possible as transparency is vital to the credibility of our polls.
If you need any help in conducting or covering polls, give the Polling Unit a call on + 44 20 7542 5223, or e-mail [email protected]
Guide to Operations 50 Guide to Operations 51 [edit] Covering other organisations' polls:
Public opinion polls are often produced by reputable organisations with no axe to grind but care still needs to be taken in reporting them. Different pollsters use different methods yielding different results.
• Beware of the spin doctors: A lobby group may commission a poll from a respected organisation but then present the results selectively to support its cause. • Voodoo polls: Beware of surveys in which participants select themselves such as in phone-in TV polls and Internet surveys. At best one side of an argument may feel more passionately about an issue than the other, meaning more of them take part. At worst, organised interest groups may rig the result. • Watch out for commercially-motivated polls. A survey showing that all men fear going bald by 40 may be sponsored by the makers of a miracle hair restorer. We need to beware against free plugs for the sponsors in such cases.
[edit] Q&A
This format has been around for a while but we should make more use of it to explain complicated issues. It is a fantastic means of highlighting our depth of understanding on newsworthy themes. This item is what it says - a factbox in question and answer style.
They are:
• written in bullet point formats • can by bylined and datelined but do not have to be. • slug is XXX-XXX/ (Q+A) • headline is Q+A-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Example:
USA-HILLARY (Q+A) Q+A-Why does Hillary Clinton keep running for president.
June 2 (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton has shrugged off calls to drop out of the U.S. Democratic presidential race and said she will keep running "until there is a nominee". Below are some questions and answers on why she is still in the race, despite her rival Barack Obama appearing to have an insurmountable lead.
[edit] Scenario boxes
These throw a story forward by describing what our correspondents think are the possible outcomes of a crisis or situation. Where possible they should give some guidance on the probability of each scenario.
They are:
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• written in bullet points • can be bylined and datelined but do not need to be. • slug is XXX-XXX/ (SCENARIOS) • headline is: SCENARIOS-Possible outcomes of xxxxxx
Example: THAI-CRISIS (SCENARIOS)
SCENARIOS-How might the Thai political crisis unfold
BANGKOK, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters have been occupying Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's official compound since Aug. 26, vowing to remain until he and his elected government fall. Following are some scenarios for what might happen next:
[edit] Secondary
A secondary, by definition, is a story that is of secondary importance. It is written to the same standards as all stories but is usually short and seldom requires updating. More important stories obviously take priority. A secondary may be of regional rather than global interest or a financial story of limited target interest.
[edit] Sidebar
A Sidebar is a spot story that is filed as a companion piece to a running "trunk" story. It may be a related Alert and Newsbreak or a basic spot news story. It may cover reaction or some other development linked with a major running story. It may be a colour story, or a historical or scene piece. Format and writing are the same as for the basic spot news story except that it may be possible only to sketch in the context and background. Any Sidebar should use the slug of the trunk story plus an additional identifier e.g. THAILAND-CARS/REACTION-
The tabular format - and bullet points - may also be considered as an option when you are planning sidebar treatment of a story. Sidebars can be updated, but this should be avoided if possible - Updates on Sidebars can cause confusion for screen readers and detract attention from the main "trunk" series.
[edit] Snap analysis
This format allows us to rush out interpretation and insight in the immediate aftermath of an event without waiting for the time it will take to write a full analysis. It can be planned in advance for setpiece news or agreed quickly with an EIC once an event occurs. The insight delivered must go beyond stating the obvious. We should aim to get these out within 30 minutes of an event. These are:
• written in bullet points. At least five bullets are needed. • can be bylined and datelined but do not have to be. • can be divided into different areas by sub-heads.
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• slug is XXX-XXX/ (SNAP ANALYSIS) • headline is SNAP ANALYSIS - xxxxxxxxxxx • Example:
SAFRICA-POLITICS/RESIGNATIONS (SNAP ANALYSIS) SNAP ANALYSIS - Departures raise doubts over S.Africa transition Sept 23 (Reuters) - The resignation of some key South African ministers alongside President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday has raised doubts over prospects for a smooth transition. Below are some of the possible consequences of the move:
[edit] Snapshot
A SNAPSHOT is a quick read-in tool for screen and media clients on a major political or general news story of global interest that extends over several days or weeks and has many elements, often from different datelines. Its format will vary with the story but the SNAPSHOT is generally no longer than a page of A4 and written in bulletpoint form.
It can list latest developments, key quotes, main statistics and forthcoming events linked to the story. A SNAPSHOT can assume that the reader has a general understanding of the story and therefore dispense with most background, including first names of known players. A SNAPSHOT is regularly updated throughout a news day when developments occur. There are no fixed times of issues. A SNAPSHOT should not be compiled on any given story without a decision by the relevant regional editor. In commodities news, a SNAPSHOT is a regular compilation of various reports in specific markets with click links to the individual reports.
[edit] Spot story
The basic spot news story is the mainstay of the Reuters file. Write it quickly, clearly and simply. Say what happened and why we are reporting it, in language that is easy to translate. Put the news in context with quotes, colour and background. Remember Reuters core values of accuracy, speed and objectivity and be precise with sourcing. A lively, well-contexted and self-contained spot story is often all that is needed on a secondary development. Do not update for the sake of it - only on merit. If the story is updated, the first version of the story should remain on the screen. The Update, if any, would carry a different Unique Story Number. Any further Updates would replace the previous Update in the series, but the first story should not be replaced.
[edit] Table
Tabular presentation after an Alert, whether of corporate results, economic indicators, bond issues or commodities data, is often the quickest way to supply a specialist market the key numbers it needs. As with Newsbreaks, Tables must be filed within 10 minutes of the Alert - more quickly if possible. A quick Newsbreak is often essential after the Table is filed when a story is particularly newsworthy. Some Alerts of strictly specialist interest may be covered by a Table and not require textual treatment, i.e. not every Alert needs to be covered by a Newsbreak. Like all stories, the
Guide to Operations 53 Guide to Operations 54 Table requires a slug.
The results of any political election of international interest must also be filed as a Table - either once at the end of the count or regularly updated throughout the count depending on how important the vote is.
Guidelines for Tables:
• Clearly label tables. Use the TABLE headline tag. • Unfailingly include "T" in the header field. • Write an active headline highlighting the main news point. • Organise Tables logically and neatly. • An opening paragraph may define the contents and can sometimes shift words out of the tabular section and avoid clutter e.g. "OPEC monthly oil output (in millions of barrels per day)." • Alignment is crucial. Try to keep the right margin straight and decimal points aligned. • Align columns and headings by their left margins only if they are all or almost all text. • Try to keep columns equally spaced with at least two spaces (preferably three) between words and numbers in adjacent columns. Tables do not necessarily follow the one-page rule (check desks for guidance).
On a complicated story or where a large number of figures are involved, key numbers can be sent in a first page of a Table within the required time limit. A second page may be filed as soon as possible later to complete the table.
[edit] Text
Clients often want to read the text of a major announcement or speech. We should say in the lead paragraph whether it is a full or a partial text. Use TEXT (not FULL TEXT) as a headline tag.
If the original is in a language other than English, say so, and whether this is an official or Reuters translation. It may be necessary to file a TEXT item in more than one "take" (page). If this is necessary, use the same slug but add a page number to the headline of the item, preceded by an equal sign (e.g. "TEXT-Ruritanian president =2") Strong interviews of major importance may additionally be reported after the story has been written as a TEXT of Q&A excerpts. This item must repeat all the quotes, with questions, used in the main story and must also carry additional questions and answers, which may be edited. The questions and answers should be written in order.
[edit] Top News summaries
Top News pages are the "front page" for many of our screen services. They are among the most retrieved items and offer a chance for us to highlight the main stories, help clients with navigation
Guide to Operations 54 Guide to Operations 55 and promote other parts of the service.
Expert news judgment is required when choosing headlines and arranging the running order. The summaries must also adhere to a uniform format, regardless of their subject matter or where they are produced. Aim for no more than 12 stories.
Senior editors must take responsibility for Top News pages. They must be uniform. All stories should be accessible to users permissioned for them. All cross-references should work and take users to the intended instrument or directory. Stories must be carefully selected and categorised clearly and sensibly, usually with the most significant story first if not the latest. An Analysis section should be used. Coding protocols must be observed. A TOP NEWS checklist:
• All TOP NEWS summaries must have the following codes in the header field: the topic codes TOP, GLANCE, XREF; a unique USN; an R in the Message Type/Ref field; the GLANCE/XXX named item code in the RIC field; the TOP/XXX named item code in the NI field. • The TOP NEWS summary headline must appear in upper and lower case. • TOP NEWS in the headline must be preceded and closed by a single asterisk. • The related markets links toolbar, must always appear at the top of a TOP NEWS summary beneath the main TOP NEWS summary headline. • Vertical bars | must be used to visually group the links within the toolbar. • Never write an introduction to the news headline in the TOP NEWS summary. • Story headlines should be grouped by one to four categories, and the first must always have the label "Top Stories" while any others can change depending on the amount and type of news on offer. • Aim for 12 story headlines within a single TOP NEWS summary. • Category labels must be written in upper case, story headlines must be written in upper and lower case. • Each story headline must be preceded with a > symbol. • Never text wrap a story headline to a second line, always truncate using ellipses. • Dynamic Cross reference links to real-time news and prices must be grouped under the labels UP-TO-THE-MINUTE HEADLINES and LIVE PRICES & DATA. • Some summaries may not include LIVE PRICES & DATA (e.g. the TOP NEWS for Sports). • Never exceed more than 2 columns of 2 cross reference links within a cross reference links category i.e. UP-TO-THE-MINUTE HEADLINES. • The static links to Speedguides at the bottom of a TOP NEWS summary should never change.
For examples of TOP NEWS summaries, key in TOP on your Reuters 3000Xtra.
[edit] Witness
A Witness story is a first-person account by a Reuters journalist of an experience, a set of observations or an event in which he or she has participated. It can relate to the subject matter the journalist covers but it is not limited to such fields. Many of our staff experience extraordinary and unusual things in the course of their reporting. Their work gives them unique perspectives on other
Guide to Operations 55 Guide to Operations 56 human beings and their behaviour. In our own lives we undergo hardships, trials or good fortune. These things are all the stuff of Witness stories. They are individual accounts of experiences and are an opportunity for the writer to express personality, feeling and engagement. They are not vehicles for opinion, prejudice or partisanship. Reuters standards of impartiality and accuracy apply. Reuters journalists working for text, picture, video and online services have all written Witness pieces. They are slugged WITNESS-XX/, start with the headline tag WITNESS, and are accompanied by an Advisory giving some background on the author and his or her story. They should be illustrated by an image of the author and ideally by pictures appropriate to the subject matter. All Witness stories should be discussed with regional editors, who will supervise their production.
[edit] Wrapup
A WRAPUP is a one-stop shop for clients - terminal users, online or traditional media - offering a broad snapshot of the latest developments in a top story of the day. It is a synthesis of significant news developments with the necessary context, colour, background and reaction, not a long list of everything that was said and done. The WRAPUP tag in the headline and after the slug flags these stories to clients. Desks will consult bureaux on when a WRAPUP is appropriate and where to write it. The desk and bureaux should also consult when a change of dateline is appropriate, or when an overnight WRAPUP is needed.
A Wrapup should:
• Pull together news from more than one dateline or story. It is not just the last Update in a series. It is meant to pull together more than one series of updates from different datelines on the same broad subject, or pull together more than one series of updates from the same dateline but on different strands of the broad story. • Carry the dateline/by-line of the writer with the strongest story. • Lead on the hardest news and weave in significant developments from other datelines/stories high up - the top 35 lines. • Be no more than 800 words. • Follow the news to a fresh dateline as a story develops. • Be freshened in light of new developments • Be refined and improved as it is freshened to sharpen the headline and top five paragraphs. • Bring in essential background, analysis, colour and context and cut out any material that is no longer required each time it is freshened.
A Wrapup should not:
• Include secondary material that is not essential for the reader's understanding. • Be freshened if there are no new developments unless it can be refined and improved. • Be written separately when we can take the main strand of a story, tag that WRAPUP rather than UPDATE and weave in developments from elsewhere. Desks will consult bureaux and decide when this is the case.
Guide to Operations 56 Guide to Operations 57
Use the word (WRAPUP) in the slugline and the headline tag WRAPUP. Wrapups follow the same slugging and tag style as UPDATEs, - i.e. they start with WRAPUP 1, then WRAPUP 2, WRAPUP 3. The practice of replacing earlier Updates on with the latest update applies to Wrapups. Fresh Wrapups must retain the significant factual material in earlier Wrapups to ensure there is no loss of content when stories are deleted and to enable us to correct any errors in previous copy.
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 57 Guide to Operations 58 The Desk
Contents
• 1 General ♦ 1.1 Tasting ♦ 1.2 Sub-editing ♦ 1.3 Filing ♦ 1.4 Bureau support ♦ 1.5 Screen management ♦ 1.6 Single/Multi-take filing • 2 Direct injection ♦ 2.1 Filing your story to the desk ♦ 2.2 Desk filing codes ♦ 2.3 Desk hours of operation
General
Strong, engaged desks are critical to the success of our file and help drive it with the news editors. Editing stories is a highly valued skill and some of our best journalists belong on desks. Everyone who touches a story is responsible and accountable for its contents.
There is no room on our desks for those who do not have ideas, and there is no room in our bureaux for reporters who don't accept constructive ideas, guidance and feedback. We're all on the same team.
The basic task of the desk is to ensure that all stories - including those that are directly injected by bureaux - measure up to our principles and quality standards and help shape the overall file, whether on a particular story or across regions and disciplines. Deskers must also see themselves - and reporters must see deskers - as facilitators, ensuring that maximum value is added to, and extracted from, our reporting resources. The desk's job is to guide the story as it emerges from the field. It is not the role of the desk to engage in gratuitous sub-editing.
Deskers must ensure that stories are prioritised, that they are properly sourced, that they are presented in a way that is clear, useful and attractive, and that they are fair and do not expose Reuters to legal dangers.
The desk provides an outsider's perspective that can be useful to reporters, who can sometimes become too close to a story, assume too much knowledge of the reader, or miss the regional or cross-sector implications of a news development.
Deskers are guardians of the Reuters style. A good desker is a mentor for less experienced reporters. A great desker "coaches" rather than "fixes".
Guide to Operations 58 Guide to Operations 59 Deskers, like reporters, need to be familiar with the story, which means they must "read in" each day and follow the news. Typos and grammar may be corrected or improved without reference to reporters but significant changes to the factual content, interpretation, or structure of a story must be referred to the reporter before the story is filed, if at all possible. Failure to do so puts the desker at risk of adding errors to stories. These are some of the main desk functions:
Tasting
A taster assesses incoming copy. The primary role is to give priority to urgent news. The taster decides which stories can be filed quickly with little extra work, which need some attention, and which ones are so problematic they need referral back to the reporter. Alerts and Newsbreaks which can be quickly filed to clients are checked for accuracy, fairness, typos, grammar and format and filed by the taster. Longer stories or stories which need more work are transferred to a desker to edit.
Sub-editing
Sub-editors working on stories that need more attention often approach them in two or three stages. First, the sub-editor reads the story for logical structure, which may result in relocating a buried lead, or buried sourcing, or context that explains the significance of the story. Then the sub-editor assesses accuracy and fairness, which includes checking facts, sourcing, context, and legal dangers. Finally, the sub-editor checks the story for typos and grammar, running spellcheckers where available, checking the math, checking RICs and Web site addresses, as well as the dateline and the USN (Unique Story Number). If editors can fix a story quickly and easily on the desk they should do so. Editors handling an Update must read earlier copy thoroughly so as not to introduce errors. A story missing key facts or angles or context may be referred back to the reporter for further work.
Filing
The filer, who may be the same person as the sub-editor, adds or checks the dateline and codes to ensure the story reaches all clients who need it. The filer has the final say on coding, deciding which clients see what stories. He or she also checks the headline and slug before filing the story. Finally the filer must check to ensure the story actually landed on the relevant services. Reporters who update stories should work from edited copy. That way, the sub-editor will only have to check any changes or additions rather than re-edit the whole story.
Guide to Operations 59 Guide to Operations 60 Bureau support
Desks help drive the file and therefore can and should act as "super bureaux" in their region or on their area of the file. Deskers assist editors in co-ordinating cross-market stories or stories that affect more than one country or region, handle and write breaking news updates, wrapups and news summaries and highlights and help in monitoring news sources such as web sites and broadcasters. Deskers are also encouraged to reinforce bureaux on big stories, just as reporters are encouraged to spend time on desks.
Screen management
Desks have a screen management role. In addition to checking that stories filed have been received by the target audience, they are responsible for corrections and such presentation items such as advisories and take-a-looks.
Single/Multi-take filing
Stories are to be filed in a single take (page) in nearly all circumstances. Occasionally, however, a second take is necessary, most commonly to add cross-reference information, or because not all the relevant RICs would fit on the space allotted in the header field, or to add a topic code that was missed earlier.
In such cases, the second take uses the same USN and is sent to Reuters "screen" codes only, such as E, U, D, O etc.
All second takes must carry =2 on the headline, which can be a truncated form of the original. The slug would appear exactly as it did in the first take. For example, slug: REUTERS/RESULTS, headline: Reuters tells the story =2
If a third take is needed, the headline should carry =3 and so on. NB - takes intended to add codes or RICs generally contain no text, save an inconspicuous character such as a full stop or a space. This will allow the second take to chain on to the first.
Direct injection
Most English language stories are filed through one of the main editing desks. Designated staff in bureaux and on reporting units are encouraged to directly inject Alerts, Newsbreaks, market reports and tables that must move quickly.
Under no circumstances may a reporter file a story directly to clients without a "second pair of eyes", preferably a senior reporter.
Guide to Operations 60 Guide to Operations 61 The regional desk retains overall responsibility for the quality of any directly injected items and injection rights may be removed from reporters who abuse them or do not use them with proper skill. Arrangements for direct injection must be made with the relevant filing desk. As a general rule, anything beyond an Update 1 to a Newsbreak must be filed by a desk unless other arrangements have been agreed. Corrections to any directly injected items should also be handled by the regional desk.
Filing your story to the desk
Head off a call-back from the desk and delay in issuing your story by following some simple checks before sending your story for editing:
• Re-read the story - Before sending copy to a desk, reporters should re-read their story, particularly the lead, to ensure that all important information is at the top, including context that explains the story's significance. RICs should be checked. A check should also be made for typos and grammatical errors. • Use a second pair of eyes - Ask a colleague in your bureau to read the story carefully to ensure that it is adequately sourced, accurate and fair, and written as concisely as possible. Your colleague must be critical. Most errors or problems can be caught in the bureau. • Involve your bureau chief or an editor in charge in problem stories - Problematic stories should be copyedited by a senior reporter, bureau charge or editor in charge. • Apply topic codes, media category code, USN - Reporters should know and apply basic topic codes to the story as well as the correct media Category Code. All stories need a Unique Story Number. Choose a priority code - Reporters need to choose a priority code on the address/product code field to indicate the urgency of the story. Priority codes are: 1 for alerts, 2 for Newsbreaks, 3 for spot stories and updates, and 4 for features and brights. The priority code must be followed by a semi-colon and then the address code to route the story to a particular desk (e.g. 2;LCE). • Choose a filing desk code - Reporters need to choose a routing code to take the story to the relevant desk (see below). Make sure you are aware of desk hours of operation. • Make sure you are available to handle queries - After filing the story, remain available to handle queries from the desk. If you must leave the bureau before your story is handled, make sure to provide a contact number, whether a landline or wireless telephone. • Send a Skedline - If you plan to advance a story, file a skedline. Try to send sidebars, Updates etc. to same filing desk as original story - this helps improve co-ordination.
Desk filing codes
RAM (Reuters Americas)reporters working for the English language international service in North and South America, use the following address codes to route stories to the Americas Desk, the RAM Equities Desk, the RAM Money Desk or the RAM Commodities/Energy Desk:
Guide to Operations 61 Guide to Operations 62
• N - All general and political news from North and South America, including international trade stories, and news about international organisations such as the IMF/World Bank. Routes stories to the Americas Desk based in Washington, D.C. and the AMERICAS basket in particular (used 24 hours). Latin American bureaux file may also use LEN or AME to send copy to the Americas Desk. • NEQ - All company, business and stock market news, including company earnings, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs (initial public offerings), stock market reports, and brokerage house research. Routes to RAM Equities Desk in New York. Basket monitored from 1000-0200 GMT, Monday-Friday and 1400-2200 GMT. • NTR - Economics, foreign exchange and debt markets news. This includes stories about economic indicators, comments by finance and economics ministers, government budgets and central bank activities, currencies, interest rates, financial derivatives, credit ratings and the IMF/World Bank. Market coverage includes Treasuries, corporates, municipals, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. Routes to RAM Money Desk in New York. Basket monitored from 1100-0200 GMT Monday-Friday, and 1400-2200 GMT. • NCE - All commodity market news, including supply and demand news for grains, feedgrains, oilseeds, livestock, coffee, cocoa, sugar, orange juice, tea, wool, cotton, rubber and metals. In addition, all energy stories dealing with crude oil and gas oil, natural gas, electricity, coal and nuclear energy. All OPEC news and news about oil refineries. Routes to RAM Commodities/ Energy Desk. Basket monitored from 1000-0200 GMT, Monday-Friday and 1400-2200 GMT. • After 0200 GMT, reporters in the Americas should file financial copy to ZCP. This will take copy to Asia Desk or London Equities Desk, depending on the time of day.
EMEA (Reuters Europe, Middle East and Africa) reporters use the following codes:
• YLP - General and political news, routes to World Desk in London. • LCF - Economics, foreign exchange and debt markets news. This includes stories about economic indicators, comments by finance and economics ministers, government budgets and central bank activities, currencies, interest rates, financial derivatives, credit ratings, the IMF/World Bank and EBRD etc. Routes to London Money Desk (RAM monitors after EMEA close). • LCE - All company, business and stock market news, including company earnings, mergers/takeovers, IPOs (initial public offerings), stock market reports, and brokerage house research. Routes to London Equities Desk (RAM monitors after EMEA close). • LCC - All commodity market news, including news on the supply and demand for all commodities, except petroleum and coal, and market reports. Commodities include grains, feedgrains, oilseeds, livestock, coffee, cocoa, sugar, orange juice, tea, wool, cotton, rubber and metals. Routes to London Commodities Desk (RAM monitors after EMEA close). • ENG - All energy stories dealing with crude oil and gas oil, natural gas, electricity, coal and nuclear energy. All OPEC news and news about oil refineries. Routes to London Energy Desk (RAM monitors after EMEA close).
Reporters in Asia use the following codes:
• YAS - All general news stories. Routes to Asia Desk, re-routes to London automatically after hours. • YEH - All economic and financial news stories. Routes to Asia Desk, re-routes automatically to London, later to New York Financial, after hours.
Guide to Operations 62 Guide to Operations 63 Note: As a backup, Asia reporters can copy stories to after-hours desks by using the relevant EMEA codes.
Other key copy filing codes include:
• YPC or SPC - (London Sports Desk) • LFD (French Desk in Paris) • CAW (German Desk) • TOK (Tokyo Desk) • SLM (Spanish Language Desk, General News) • SLF (Spanish Language Desk, Financial)
Desk hours of operation
Reporters must be aware of desk hours of operation and their key telephone numbers. Desk staffers should be aware of operating hours of desks in other regions and key contact numbers.
Reporters can contact desks through service messages. Some key desk codes are:
Asia Desk ASDK; Asia outlooks/newsplanners ASED; World Desk, Americas (Washington) AMDK; Washington Bureau W or NYKW; London World Desk YLP; London Newseds LONX; London Bureau LBM; Diaries Desk CAL; London Features FEA; London Sports SPS; Editorial Reference Unit LNBK; (In Asia and Europe, a message sent to an individual desk or bureau should also be coded ASDK or LON for reference).
Specialist desks in London and New York may also be reached by using the relevant desk code (e.g. LCE or NEQ for Equities).
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 63 Guide to Operations 64 Corrections, Refiles, Kills, Repeats and Embargoes
Contents
• 1 General • 2 Corrections and Procedures ♦ 2.1 Alerts and Newsbreaks ♦ 2.2 Correcting stories with no Alert ♦ 2.3 Correcting stories more than 24 hours old • 3 Official Corrections • 4 Refiles - Procedures • 5 Kills(Withdrawls) - Procedures ♦ 5.1 Suspect Story ♦ 5.2 Suspect story requires correction • 6 Embargoes ♦ 6.1 General ♦ 6.2 Minimising the risk of an embargo break ♦ 6.3 What to do when an embargo is broken ♦ 6.4 Accidental release to Reuters screens ♦ 6.5 Mending fences on embargo breaks • 7 Appendix ♦ 7.1 When to Correct ♦ 7.2 When to Refile ♦ 7.3 When to repeat
General
Reuters is totally honest about errors. We rectify them promptly and clearly. We do not disguise or bury mistakes in subsequent updates or stories. We repeat stories only when running them without any change from the original.
Many corrections can be prevented by checking simple things - the day of the week, proper names and figures, for example. For a list of checks see Avoiding Errors.
Reuters recognises three classes of errors and has set up three separate procedures to deal with them.
• STORY WITHDRAWN -- The so-called "kill" is reserved for stories that are totally wrong or so fundamentally flawed that a conventional correction is impossible. A desk head or specialist editor must decide whether to kill a story or correct it. • CORRECTED - Corrections are necessary whenever a substantive, factual error appears in a story or table. Such errors include mistakes that alter the meaning or significance of the story or passage, or undermine its credibility. Stories merit corrections, for example, when
Guide to Operations 64 Guide to Operations 65 they contain a wrong RICs (Reuters Instrument Code) because the mistake links the news to the wrong company. Errors involving numbers almost always merit corrections. See the appendix for more examples. • REFILE - Refiles allow Reuters to recognise and correct minor factual errors in stories without burying them in repeats or unnecessarily alarming readers. Such minor errors in general would have no bearing on any investment decision or understanding of the news, nor would they detract from a story's credibility. Stories usually merit refiles, for example, when the wrong day of the week is included in the first sentence, when typos appear in common words or when a name is misspelled. A refile may only be published by the most senior member of staff on the appropriate desk. See the appendix for more examples. • REPEAT - Repeats are reserved for stories that have previously appeared on a Reuters news service and do not contain errors. A story is repeated exactly as it first appeared. If the headline or text has been changed for any reason, then it is not a repeat, and the proper story format needs to be used, such as correction, refile or an update. Repeats (or updates) should never be used to overwrite mistakes or inaccuracies.
Minor factual errors and typos are addressed as refiles, not repeats. See the appendix for more examples.
Follow the corrections procedure religiously. It is the responsibility of the reporter or bureau to prepare the correction but it must always be issued by the desk, even if the original was directly injected by the bureau. The final decision on whether to issue a withdrawal, correction, refile or repeat rests with the editing desk or specialist editor. Such decisions are expected to be based on approaches outlined here, rather than on personal preferences and informal polls of staff.
When correcting errors that first occurred in an earlier update of a series, you must note that the error first occurred in a particular update. If you have a further update after a CORRECTED story, it should carry a new USN and should NOT replace the corrected story. This means the correction will remain visible on the screens. For example, if an UPDATE 4 was corrected, UPDATE 5 would carry a new USN to ensure that clients continued to see CORRECTED-UPDATE 4.
In RAM, all corrections should be sent with the CXN address code.
Trashlines or advisory lines at the top of the text are mandatory for all withdrawals, corrections, refiles and repeats and must be filed within parentheses. The trashline should say exactly why a story is being killed, corrected, refiled or repeated. All trashlines on refiles and corrections must include the word "corrects" or "correcting". Trashlines serve the interests of transparency and are required to route our stories properly to some customers. They are technical as well as editorial tools.
Corrections and Procedures
Alerts and Newsbreaks
• An incorrect Alert must be followed by a corrected Alert with a NEW USN and the word CORRECTED- manually inserted at the beginning of the text. The corrected Alert should
Guide to Operations 65 Guide to Operations 66 state clearly in parentheses what is being corrected. If this would make it much too long, an explanation should be given at the top of the Newsbreak. Example: CORRECTED-TRANSMENIAN INDUSTRIES YEAR NET PROFIT 5.4 MLN EUROS (NOT 4.5 MLN) • The incorrect Alert should then be manually deleted from the screens. • If the incorrect Alert is part of a series of Alerts chained together with the same USN, the correct Alerts can be repeated to chain with the corrected Alert, but they must be preceded by RPT-. Alerts should be repeated in this manner only if the series is very recent and particularly significant. • If the Newsbreak has not yet been filed, file it with the same USN as the corrected Alert. The Newsbreak should include a trashline explaining the error and using the term "alert". This procedure applies even when the Newsbreak is correct or when the erroneous alert is not covered in the body of the Newsbreak. • If the Newsbreak has been filed and is correct, resend it as a REPEAT to chain with the corrected Alert as it would have been deleted. Again, include a trashline explaining the error in the alert. Do not put an R in the message type of a Newsbreak that is being repeated to cover a corrected Alert because it will overwrite the Alerts. • If the Newsbreak has been filed and is incorrect, resend it as a CORRECTED to chain to the corrected Alert, manually inserting CORRECTED- in the headline. Write (CORRECTED) in the slug line. • Correct the headline if that is also wrong.
Example of a corrected Newsbreak: Slug BALDONIA-TRADE (CORRECTED) Headline CORRECTED- Baldonia Jan-June trade surplus falls Advisory Line (Corrects fourth paragraph to state that the surplus in June fell 16.6 percent to 985 billion euros and not fell 17.7 percent to 999 billion)
There is no need to include the headline in such advisory notes except when the headline is being corrected. Keep advisory notes (trashlines) as simple as possible to avoid confusing the reader. Paraphrase and summarise information in a trashline whenever possible but repeat the exact wording of the corrected sentence or segment if necessary. Do not include a line saying a corrected repetition follows, as that is obvious.
Here are some examples of advisory lines (trashlines):
(Corrects paragraph 2, which erroneously described ABC Co as the largest widget maker in Manchukistan. ABC Co is the second largest behind QRS Corp)
(In paragraph 6, the word "not" was dropped from the quote. Please read the sentence correctly as "The economy is not growing," John Doe said.)
Correcting stories with no Alert
The corrected story should have the same USN as the original story. It should have an A in the "Ref" or "Msg Type" field in the header on System 77 and Decade. This will delete the original story and insert the corrected one. It will also generate the word CORRECTED at the front of the
Guide to Operations 66 Guide to Operations 67 headline, so there is no need to shorten the headline.
Correcting stories more than 24 hours old
Stories over 24 hours old will no longer have a valid USN and so will not respond to "A" in the Ref/Msg Type field, so follow this procedure to correct a Newsbreak that is more than 24 hours old. Use a new USN and insert CORRECTED at the beginning of the headline. Delete the story from the Newsyear database using the following procedure.
1. Make a copy of the correction. Make sure it has the old USN. 2. Add a Y to the Message Type/Ref Field 3. In the Q Codes field type date and time of the original story, recalculating the RT time for GMT as follows: 18-MAY-1999:19:33:20 (for a story filed EDT at 15:33:20). This should fill the entire field. (The date and time are below stories on Kobra) 4. Remove the headline, RICS and all the copy 5. Make two spaces in the text field with the space bar 6. Make a hard (wineglass) return 7. File 8. Call up the story again on Kobra to ensure that the database has been cleaned out
(Note: The Q field may not appear on the header you use; check with your techs)
Official Corrections
Special provisions are made for official corrections - those from a source, over which Reuters has no control. This is to make clear to subscribers where the responsibility for the mistake lies.
We only describe a correction as official if a source has acknowledged that the original information was wrong. If in doubt, refer to specialist editors. The only change from the standard correction format is to manually add the word (OFFICIAL) followed by a hyphen to the Alert and the headline of the Newsbreak. The slug takes (CORRECTED, OFFICIAL).
How to issue an official correction to a snap
1. Use a DIFFERENT USN from the original Alert 2. Type CORRECTED-(OFFICIAL) - and then the text of the Alert, all in upper case 3. Delete the original Alert 4. Chain the Newsbreak to the Alert, again using CORRECTED-(OFFICIAL)- before the headline if the Newsbreak is also being corrected 5. In both cases, CORRECTED-(OFFICIAL)- must be manually inserted. Do not put an A in the Ref/Msg type box of the header field.
Guide to Operations 67 Guide to Operations 68
Example: Corrected Alert CORRECTED-(OFFICIAL)-GERMAN FINMIN-NO NEED REVISE 2001 43.7 (NOT 46.1) BLN DM DEFICIT GOAL Corrected headline and story CORRECTED-(OFFICIAL)-Germany sees no reason to raise 2001 borrowing Advisory line (Please read in first paragraph, 43.7 billion marks instead of 46.1 billion marks to comply with an official correction from finance ministry)
Refiles - Procedures
Note that slugs for both refiles and corrections use (CORRECTED) as part of the slug.
The slug line would read: HEALTH-INSURANCE (CORRECTED). Headline The word REFILE appears in upper case before the headline, with a dash and no spaces separating them. For example, "REFILE-XYZ Co posts first-quarter earnings."
There must be an advisory line (trashline) above the story text telling readers what is being corrected. Follow the same procedures for writing trashlines for refiles as you would for corrections.
Back to top
REPEATS - PROCEDURES Repeats should always be issued with (REPEAT) at the end of the slug line and RPT- at the front of the headline.
The slug line would read: HEALTH-INSURANCE (REPEAT) The headline would read: RPT-XYZ Co reports first-quarter earnings.
There must be an advisory line above the story text explaining why the story is being repeated.
The advisory line would read, for example: (Repeats to widen distribution)
Kills(Withdrawls) - Procedures
Suspect Story
If a story is suspected of being wrong, but we cannot immediately confirm this, we need to send an Advisory to clients. Send it to the same codes used for the story in question but with a different USN.
For example, send a headline along these lines: ADVISORY-Ruritania President-report being checked
Guide to Operations 68 Guide to Operations 69 Slug: BC-RURITANIA-PRESIDENT (ADVISORY URGENT) In the text field, say something along these lines: With reference to the story headlined "Ruritanian president reported badly hurt in car crash", we are checking a report that the president was not in the car.
Suspect story requires correction
If the story turns out to need only a correction, send a CORRECTED with the same USN as the original story and A in the header field.
If the story is fundamentally flawed, send an ADVISORY saying the story is wrong and is withdrawn. It should have the same address codes as the original, the same USN, a message type of R and the topic code WDW. This ensures the erroneous item will be deleted from real-time products and that there is a link (same USN) between the advisory and the story to be killed which will allow the withdrawn story to be removed from the longer-term database used for machine-readable news. Please also include the GMT time and date (in DD/MM/YYYY format) when the original item ran and also include its USN explicitly in the text. The GMT time can be worked out from the Xtra timestamp.
Headline: ADVISORY-Ruritania president story withdrawn Slug: BC-RURITANIA-PRESIDENT (URGENT) (STORY WITHDRAWN) Advisory line (trashline):
Please be advised that the Ruritania story reporting that the president was hurt in a car crash is wrong. The president's spokesman says the president was delayed and did not make the car journey as planned. The following story has been withdrawn.
STORY_NUMBER: L0987654
STORY_DATE: 19/02/2006
STORY_TIME: 1610 GMT
A substitute story follows.
In rare cases the Advisory would say: "There will be no substitute story." This would be the case, for example, when the story was totally wrong, e.g. if the car never left.
In the special case where an alert needs to be withdrawn and the advisory on this also needs to be alerted, a slightly different procedure must be followed. In this case, the alert(s) should be sent on a new USN and the withdrawn snap(s) deleted. The newsbreak that covers the advisory snap should then be repeated to the old USN as well, to ensure a link between the advisory and the withdrawn item. This different procedure is required because R does not work reliably on priority 1 items. The advisory should contain the USN, date and time information as in the example above.
In addition to these steps, an email must be sent to RCOM Editorial telling them what has been done.
This will alert our online colleagues to pull each version of the story from websites and to contact online customers to ask them to remove it.
Guide to Operations 69 Guide to Operations 70 Killing or withdrawing a story is a serious situation. No story should be killed or withdrawn without consulting a desk editor and specialist editor. The bureau chief may also be required to write an Incident Report to the regional specialist editor.
Embargoes
General
Institutions and organisations with information to convey will often give it to news services ahead of the official release time so as to give journalists time to prepare their stories - as in the case of a lengthy report - or to level the competitive and regulatory playing field - as with financial numbers.
Embargoes can be confusing. It is bad news when they are broken and can cost us access in the future to information critical to our clients, such as key economic indicators.
There are two kinds of embargo - the transmission embargo and the publication embargo. Make sure you know the difference.
• With a transmission embargo the source of the information provides it to us on the understanding that no story will be transmitted to any of our clients until a specified time. • A publication embargo permits us to transmit a story immediately to wholesale media clients but with an advisory line telling them it may not be published or broadcast before a specified time. This means we cannot send such items to screen clients or internet news sites but only issue them on our media wires. These must carry the topic code EMB so they can be excluded from certain systems.
If we obtain, independently, news that is the subject of material already transmitted under embargo, we should issue our own un-embargoed story based on that source. Once an embargo has expired we should, if appropriate, follow this up with an Update adding in any material received under embargo. Our knowledge of an embargo must not inhibit attempts we have previously set in train to pursue a story.
Minimising the risk of an embargo break
Bureaux sending embargoed material to a desk must clearly mark it as embargoed in three places, in UPPER CASE.
• In the slugline (System77 users) or Cy-Slug line (Decade). • At the top of the text, above the dateline. • In the comment line of the header field.
The desk should fill in the auto-release time and date in the editorial system header as soon as the story lands, and before it is edited. Our editing systems allow stories to be released more than 72 hours ahead, but it is a good idea not to issue stories too far in advance. Before transferring the story to an editor, make sure it is labelled EMBARGOED. If the auto-release time is midnight of the
Guide to Operations 70 Guide to Operations 71 day you are handling the story, ensure that the time is entered as 00:00:01 of the FOLLOWING day. Do not enter the time as 2400 on the current day. Otherwise the system will read it as the previous midnight and the story will appear on screens immediately.
In the Americas, the release time for stories meant for Americas only is expressed in EDT or EST depending on the time of year (e.g. "embargoed for release at 19:10 EST"). Stories filed from the Americas to international services should also add the GMT release time, in italics and highlighted e.g. â ¦19.10 EST (2301 GMT).
Do not work on a copy of the original item that carried the auto-release time - the auto-release will not be copied into your header. Also, any information in the header field may be stripped off if the story is sent to another editing desk.
Whoever transmits an embargoed item should check the transmission queue to ensure it has been transmitted. If the auto-release time is outside the desk's control period, the exact headline and the embargo time must be mentioned in the handover. It may also be a good idea to pass on a copy of the embargoed item to the desk that is taking over, just in case the embargo is broken after the handling desk close.
If you need to change, release early, or kill an embargoed item this can be done, although in some centres this may involve intervention by systems administrators. Stories issued to the media under an embargo should carry the word EMBARGOED in brackets after the slug and give the release time and date in brackets on a separate line between headline and dateline.
In the U.S., material under publication embargo should be sent to the code WIB to allow for handling by the online desk.
Examples of a media publication embargoed items:
BC-BALDONIA-SOLDIERS (EMBARGOED)
Baldonian president honours five dead soldiers
(Embargoed for release at 2301 GMT April 28) BALDONIA CITY, April 28 (Reuters) - Baldonian President Sanoloo Shiprash called five soldiers killed in a guerrilla ambush heroes of the nation on Thursday.
Do not use the word midnight to describe the release time for stories on publication embargo. It can cause confusion about whether you mean the start or end of the day. If it is a midnight GMT embargo, use 0001 GMT, with the date.
Embargoed stories should, when practicable, be issued to media subscribers shortly before the start of the news day in which they will be required, but generally not more than 12 hours ahead of scheduled publication unless the story is unusually long or complicated, when more time should be allowed. They must carry the topic code EMB when filed so they can be easily identified by downstream systems. Correspondents should file embargoed stories as soon as they are available.
Guide to Operations 71 Guide to Operations 72 What to do when an embargo is broken
If another news service breaks an embargo, contact the source to see if they object to our running the story early. In urgent cases (e.g. when a market is moving) we can override objections and issue the story ahead of time after approval by an editor-in-charge. In non-urgent cases we would normally respect the wishes of the source of the material.
If we decide also to ignore an embargo we must issue an advisory on the following lines to explain the circumstances: BC-BALDONIA-SOLDIERS (ADVISORY) The BALDONIA CITY story headlined "Baldonian president honours five dead soldiers", which was embargoed for 2301 GMT April 28, is released for immediate publication. Another news organisation has broken the embargo.
Accidental release to Reuters screens
If embargoed material (including Alerts) is released accidentally to screen services, this material must not be deleted. Where appropriate, we should quickly issue an advisory with the same USN. For example, for the release of a trade figure â ¦
ADVISORY - RELEASE OF RURITANIAN TRADE DATA Reuters inadvertently issued an alert and story detailing Ruritanian trade data for June. Other scheduled data, including money supply and foreign reserves remain under embargo until 0900 GMT.
Again, do not delete the errant material. This may give unfair advantage to those who spotted it and disadvantage those who happened to be looking away from their screen at the time. Do not apologise in the advisory - keep it as simple as possible.
Mending fences on embargo breaks
In all cases of embargo breaks the bureau or unit must inform: the relevant desk, the organisation supplying the news, and if merited, regulatory authorities such as stock exchanges.
Tell them we have made an honest mistake for which we are sorry; that we are taking steps to make sure such things do not occur again and that we trust future relations with the source will not be jeopardised.
Bureau chiefs should then write a letter to the organisation affected repeating that our policy is to observe embargoes and that we apologise for our error. In most cases, an embargo break requires an incident report to be written.
Guide to Operations 72 Guide to Operations 73 Appendix
Use the following guide to determine whether to correct, refile or repeat a story.
When to Correct
RICs -- When the RIC used is not that of the company in the news. If a RIC belongs to no other company and links to a blank data page, the story should be refiled to remove the dead RIC and replace it with an active RIC. DATA - Nearly every error that involves a number requires a correction.
MILLION VS BILLION -- Corrections are necessary with this common error. Also, correct when the word "billion" or "million" has been dropped.
DATES AND TIME PERIODS -- Wrong dates, months or years in the text. Excludes dates in datelines and days of the week in the first paragraph, which often can be addressed with a refile unless the meaning changes. For example, we would correct: XYZ Co acquired EFG Co. in 1997, not 1897, as stated in paragraph 5.
QUOTES -- Any error in a quote that changes the meaning of the sentence. It is unacceptable to drop the quote from an update instead of issuing a correction. If a quote contains an extra word or two or is missing a word, issue a refile unless the meaning changes.
PRICES -- It is unacceptable to issue an update rather than a correction when the wrong price for a stock, bond or other asset is published (unless the price changed incrementally while the story was being filed.) Also correct mistakes in the direction of any price changes, such as when the story mistakenly says a stock rose instead of fell.
BACKGROUND -- Even though background information may not change the meaning of the story or its trading impact, it often adds to the crredibility, and thus merits a correction when it is wrong.
PROPER NAMES -- Names of people, places, companies and organisations should be corrected when a misspelling creates confusion or when an erroneous name has been substituted. For example: The name President Jeb Bush was inadvertently used in the first sentence instead of his brother George W. Use a refile to correct obvious typos in proper names. For example, President Georeg Bush. The trashline would read: Refiles to correct spelling of George in first paragraph.
GENERAL CONTENT -- Descriptions, analyses or explanations that are erroneous should be corrected even if republished from a previous story or if they are not of primary importance. For example, an advisory line might read: The second paragraph erroneously described XYZ Co as the largest widget maker in the world. XYZ Co is the second largest behind QRS Corp.
DROPPED WORD -- When the missing word changes the meaning of a sentence, a correction is necessary. For example, "He was found guilty," instead of "He was found not guilty." Otherwise, use refile to add dropped words or delete extraneous ones.
TIME REFERENCES -- Corrections of time references should carry advisory lines that read:
Guide to Operations 73 Guide to Operations 74 Corrects month measured by housing data to June instead of July.
Special note on Alerts: Mistakes in Alerts raise the special issue of timings. The kind of errors that would merit refiles are usually better left unaddressed in Alerts. When a refile is deemed necessary, let the Alert with the mistake stand and issue a refile that would stand side by side with the original. Any mistake involving a number would still be corrected in Alerts. Again, it is best practice to insist that all mistakes in Alerts be sent to the appropriate editing desk, which would then make a decision on how to handle it. The bureau, reporter or editor in the field should never make such a decision independently. Any remedial action must be handled by the editing desk.
When to Refile
Use refile to handle the following types of mistakes that would have no bearing on a trading decision or would not distort the meaning of a story or any passage within it. Sample advisory lines are also provided.
RICS - Refile stories that contain wrong RICS only when the symbol used belongs to no other company and links to a blank data page. The trashline would read: Refiles to correct inactive stock symbol in paragraph 4. If a RIC belonging to another company is mistakenly used, a correction is required. The trashline would read: Corrects stock symbol in paragraph 3 to ABC.N from ABC.O.
DATELINE -- Errors in datelines, including the location and date, unless either would have an important bearing on the meaning of the story e.g. Corrects dateline from FRANKFURT to Brussels or Corrects dateline to Aug 5 from Aug 4
DAY OF THE WEEK -- When the wrong day of the week appears in the lead sentence, unless the mistake would distort the significance of the news or applies to a day in the future e.g. Corrects day in first paragraph to Tuesday from Monday.
TIME CONVERSIONS -- Simple time conversions when the time being converted is correct, e.g. Corrects time in paragraph 3 to 1350 GMT from 1550 GMT.
SPELLING -- For typographical errors of common words, or most spelling mistakes in proper names, e.g. Fixes typo in 10th paragraph or Corrects spelling of Greenspan in final paragraph.
NAMES -- A story that says "President Bush" on first reference or President Goerge Bush, for example, should be refiled with President George W. Bush. The trashline would be: Refiles to correct name in paragraph 2 to President George W. Bush.
AGES -- Use REFILE for correcting the age of an individual, unless the mistake distorts the meaning of the story. The trashline would read: Refiles to correct age in paragraph 6 to 53 years old.
TITLES -- Use REFILE to correct minor mistakes in titles, such as senior vice president instead of vice president. The trashline would read: Refiles to correct title in paragraph 2 to chief financial officer. But use CORRECTED for errors that could have bigger ramifications, such as chief financial officer instead of chief executive. If there is any question, the desk head will make the decision on
Guide to Operations 74 Guide to Operations 75
REFILE vs CORRECTED.
ADDS WORD -- To insert dropped words, unless the dropped word distorts the meaning of the sentence (such as the word "not") e.g. Corrects to add dropped word executive in paragraph 10. Other examples that would require corrections are words like million or percent when dropping them raises the possibility that a reader may misinterpret a number.
DELETES WORD -- To remove unnecessary words unless the presence of the word distorted the meaning of the sentence. E.g. Corrects to delete extraneous word the in paragraph two.
When to repeat
Use repeats in the following situations. Examples of advisory lines are provided.
ADDING CODES AND RICS: The advisory line should read: Repeats to widen distribution
ADDING BYLINES OR TAGLINES: The advisory line should read Repeats to adds byline
CHANGING SLUGS: The trashline should read: Repeats to change story label used by some customers. If we change a slug on a story that has been sent to media, an advisory must be sent to the media codes noting the slug has been changed to/from.
REPEATING TO NEW USN: The trash line should read: Repeats to new story number. Remove media codes from the repeat.
REMOVING STORY ATTACHED TO PREVIOUS UPDATE: The trash line should read: Repeats to remove story attached to bottom of text.
REPEATING TO ATTACH TO ALERTS: The trash line should read: Repeats to attach text to news alerts. Remove any media codes from the repeat.
REPEATING AHEAD OF DATA OR EVENT: The trashline should read: Repeats story published on Monday ahead of data due at (time)
REPEATING FROM A PREVIOUS DAY: The trashline should read: Repeats story first published on Sunday.
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 75 Guide to Operations 76 Cracking the codes
Contents
• 1 General • 2 Coding guidelines • 3 Reuters Instrument Codes (RICs) • 4 Guidance for checking RICs • 5 Service messages
General
Many clients rely on our coding system to search for and access our news, so it is important that we deliver exactly the news they are looking for. A missed code can be a missed story as far as the client is concerned. Overcoding, on the other hand, dulls the efficiency of searches - not only for clients, but for colleagues who rely on our systems in their daily work. Sloppy coding can mean that our news doesn't get read when it should, and it means clients think we're behind on stories when often we're ahead.
Deskers can help to ensure that the work of reporters is not "wasted" through improper coding. Reporters, especially specialist reporters, can help by applying topic codes to stories sent to the desk.
There are eight main code types:
• Product codes parallel the news products sold to terminal clients • Topic codes break down each product by topic, making searches easier • Reuters Instrument Codes(RICs) allow clients to click through from a story to data about any financial instruments • Country codes identify the countries involved • Named item codes help clients locate routine reports - e.g. market reports, Top News summaries, diaries, press digests and guest columns, and are usually imbedded in a proforma or system template • Category codes allow media subscribers to sort stories into baskets - e.g. routing sports copy to the sports department basket • Auto-generated codes include codes used mainly to sort (i.e. include and exclude) stories available for distribution on Internet services • Service message codes allow desks and bureaux to exchange internal messages about the file.
Coding guidelines
Topic codes are applied to stories ABOUT a topic, not a topic of interest to a particular sector or country (that is what product codes are for). If the topic code doesn't explain what the story is about, don't use it. An economic indicator may be of interest to the foreign exchange market, but it is NOT
Guide to Operations 76 Guide to Operations 77 a forex story so it would not take the FRX topic code. Stories about Afghanistan might be of interest to readers in Pakistan, but would not carry the PK country code. Similarly, the codes OPEC, IMF, G7 and EU should be used only on stories ABOUT these organisations themselves - not on stories about member countries.
It is possible to add topic codes after the story is filed - but NOT product codes. You CAN add product codes to a newsbreak covering an alert. To add a topic code to a story that has already been filed, simply send a "dummy" page with the same USN and using at least one of the product codes on the original story code. For the dummy take, you do not need a headline but you do need something in the text field - for this, a period/full stop or even an indentation with the spacebar will do. Reporters should try to apply topic codes to stories they file to the desks. Stories landing on the desks should at least carry the country topic code, the regional topic code, (EMRG if an emerging market) and the main subject code - for instance, POL for politics.
Please see Julius for a full list of codes.
Reuters Instrument Codes (RICs)
Reuters Instrument Codes (RICs), or ticker symbols, are crucial in helping customers find news and market data. All financial instruments -- stocks, bonds, currencies and commodities -- as well as many types of economic data have RICs.
It is essential to include the RIC in the System 77/Decade header field and in the story itself. The main reason is to make sure clients see news on the underlying instruments and help them link to related news, data, prices and charts. Adding RICs also makes it much easier to analyse readership and timings data.
Economic data that are listed on the ECON pages have RICs. These are increasingly used by clients to trigger real-time trades and to create historical graphs. You can find the RIC by double clicking on the name of the indicator in ECON. Please add this RIC into the System 77/Decade header field for the specific story on the latest economic indicator release. Do not use it in every single story that mentions that piece of data, however, or you will swamp clients with tangential news. The RIC also must be entered into the FATFRIEND table when you are injecting live data updates to screens
Company RICs need to be inserted into alerts. The RIC follows the first mention of a company in the body of the story. A traditional company RIC looks like this: IBM is the ticker symbol for the company and .N is the exchange identifier (the NYSE in this case) New market regulations such as Mifid in Europe and NMS in the United States have created alternative trading venues and new sets of RICs. For the time being, Reuters news will insert the traditional company RICs with exchange identifiers. Many unlisted companies and entities also have RICs. These are identified with square brackets and a UL (unlisted) identifier instead of an exchange identifier (e.g. [TPG.UL] for U.S. buyout firm TPG).
It is vital that reporters and sub-editors use the company RIC look-up GDK on System 77 and Decade to find the correct RIC. Don't guess if you aren't sure. Company RICs change at the rate of about 200 a month. If you pick up an unfamiliar RIC from an old story on Kobra it may be wrong.
Guide to Operations 77 Guide to Operations 78 Deskers must check RICs as they would any other checkable fact in the story.
A wrong RIC is an error of fact in a story and must be corrected, just like any other substantive error. We use refiles to clean up "dead RICs," or RICs that are no longer in use and do not lead to any live quote or financial instrument.
If an alert or a story doesn't carry the right RIC, clients simply don't see the news. A wrong or missing RIC also means the news "flag" on live quote displays for any of the financial instruments are not activated. A wrong company RIC especially if it is linked to a "bad news" story, can have serious impact on the wrongly identified company.
Full lists of both listed and unlisted RICs, updated regularly, are available in the System 77 and Decade databases. Make sure you are aware of all GDKs in the system designed to help with search for and applying RICs.
Strip all RICs from copy going to media subscribers and Business News Schedules.
Guidance for checking RICs
Once you have a RIC list on your editing screen, scroll down the list to compare the FULL name against the choices. Also check topic and country codes provided in the RIC list.
Next, type the RIC into the RIC box on the right-hand corner on this page: http://cemplookup/search/company.aspx. Make sure you have the right one.
You can also type the RIC into a NEWS window on 3000 Xtra and hit return, which will enable you to see previous Reuters news about the company or instrument. You can also cross check the RIC in a 3000 Xtra QUOTE window to check to see if the instrument is trading.
Ensure the RIC you plan to use is the same as the one used on previous stories about the company. If a RIC search doesn't pull up any stories, you have a problem. If you cannot find the RIC on Kobra, try calling up stories by using the name of the company or instrument, using hyphens to connect the names and surrounding any word with three letters or fewer with quotation marks (e.g. "IBM").
If in doubt, ask senior reporters, who may be aware of problem RICs.
Tips for avoiding RIC errors:
• Make sure you do not have a false RIC of a company with a similar name, or that you have put the RIC of a publicly traded company on news about a private company with a similar or identical name. • Short name searches are dangerous - too many companies have similar names. In searches, use the full company name with correct capitalisation. • Some of the most difficult-to-locate RICs are in the software industry, where internal capital letters are common in company names, such as RealNetworks. Other extremely problematic company names are those with unusual punctuation, such as B.A.T Industries Plc (no period after the T). Also watch companies that have an ampersand (&) or "And" in their names.
Guide to Operations 78 Guide to Operations 79
• Familiarise yourself with well-known acronyms (e.g. IBM). • Some major companies have multiple RICs as they trade in many places. As a rule, use the mother RIC on first reference. If it's a dual-listed company, such as a company with ADRs or GDRs, insert the ADR/GDR RICs in the copy. • When you find an incorrect or problematic RIC, tell your desk head.
Service messages
A service message is an in-house message sent through the editorial editing system. It is primarily used for news editing between desks and bureaux, among desks, and for exchanging information between/among bureaux. Service messages are not private. The service "wire" provides a record of operational exchanges. Services should be short, simple, to the point and polite. Humour does not travel in service messages and beware of inappropriate language, since service messages have been known to 'escape' onto client circuits as a result of miscoding. You must know the service message codes (see Julius for a full list)
Any detailed news editing done on Reuters Messaging, by screen-top or on the telephone should be followed up with a service message or email detailing what has been discussed and agreed. This way, all concerned are in the loop and there is less room for misunderstanding.
Do not send stories or information that clearly warrants a story in service message form unless asked to do so. Sensitive stories (e.g. those with potential legal dangers) should be sent to the desk using the **ATTN EDITOR** flag and regular filing codes. Such a story should be preceded by a service message, coded to the service wire and to the story filing code, outlining the concerns.
To allow for clarity the message is labelled with the short form of the bureau (usually the same as the service code) followed by a timestamp and, usually, a one-word description of the subject. The following sample message was sent by Asia Desk to Wellington on the 5th day of the month at 3.00 p.m.
WEL 051500 QUAKE prowel/joyce exasiadesk/norton. fyi hk observatory reporting quake measuring 5.8 on the richter scale 600 miles east of cook islands. gtfl checks. rgds/jerry norton +65-870-3814 New reporters and deskers sometimes notice the word "protectively" "fyi" or "apols if missed" in service messages - basically this means "you might already know this but I'm telling you anyway just be on the safe side."
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 79 Guide to Operations 80 News Presentation
Contents
• 1 Advisory line • 2 Bullet points ♦ 2.1 Brief ♦ 2.2 Wrapup ♦ 2.3 Interview ♦ 2.4 Preview ♦ 2.5 Market reports ♦ 2.6 Factboxes • 3 Bylines • 4 Cross-heads (Sub-heads) • 5 Datelines • 6 Headlines ♦ 6.1 Headline tags • 7 Pool reports • 8 Schedules ♦ 8.1 Schedule issue times ♦ 8.2 Skedlines • 9 Sign-offs • 10 Slugs and Slugging ♦ 10.1 How to slug • 11 Unique Story Numbers (USNs) ♦ 11.1 The USN drill
Advisory line
(also known as an EDS NOTE or "Trash Line")
Advisory lines at the top of Updates, advise clients of additional new details in a running story and where to find the information in text. They are also an important news-editing tool because they help us decide whether we really need to re-edit the story. If possible, keep the note to one line (no more than two), enclosed in brackets. Indent one space and start with a capital letter. Be specific e.g. (Adds prime minister's reaction in paragraph 3, updates death toll in paragraph 4). Do not start the advisory with "eds" or "eds note". If you recast your story completely because of a significant development, say e.g. ("Rewrites throughout after military intervention threat"). Avoid journalese - e.g. "graf", "graph", "para".
Bullet points
The aim of bullet points is to break complicated information down into digestible form or to highlight the main elements of a story. Bullet points also free us up to be more creative in our lead writing.
Guide to Operations 80 Guide to Operations 81 Bullet points work in many story formats: BRIEFs, WRAPUPs, INTERVIEWs, market reports and factboxes.
Here are general guidelines:
• Bullet points must be succinct, in the active voice and in the present tense • Every bullet point is preceded by an asterisk (*) • The minimum number of bullet points is two, the maximum five. • They cannot exceed one line (about 10 words) in length. • Bullet points can be analytical or interpretative • Both reporters and desk editors can write bullet points • Bullet points are placed above trashlines, bylines and datelines
Here are some details on the various story formats that currently use bullet points. We may extend this group to include other story types.
Brief
The BRIEF is an automatically generated item (by our Wire Engine alerting system) with a special headline tag. BRIEFs are meant to save time and ensure customers who cannot receive alerts get the guts of our stories. The bullets repeat the alerts verbatim, and that's OK. A BRIEF can have more than 5 bullets. BRIEFs are used by company news but can be used by other files.
Wrapup
Bullet points on WRAPUPs are used to highlight the key points in a big story. They should not slavishly repeat the lead or the headline or focus only on what is in the first dozen lines. Across the file, bullets should be used on WRAPUPs. Political and general news WRAPUPs will no longer have trashlines. In all other cases, we're keeping trashlines for now.
Interview
On INTERVIEWs, bullet points must be used from the UPDATE 1 onward to give readers a bird's eye view of the story.
Preview
On PREVIEWs, bullet points serve to identify the event being previewed, when it will take place and a key highlight. wo special rules apply: The first bullet point of a PREVIEW starts with * What: and describes the event. The second bullet point has * When: and gives the date, local time and GMT equivalent in brackets.
Guide to Operations 81 Guide to Operations 82 Market reports
In market reports, bullet points can either take the place of a narrative (similar to BRIEFs) or top a narrative (here, the same rules apply as under WRAPUP or INTERVIEW). Check with your EIC which format works best for your market. In reports that consist only of bullet points, use more links [ID: nXX] to guide readers to full stories. For narrative market reports, avoid bullets with market prices but instead focus on short descriptions of factors moving the market.
Factboxes
Flexibility is key here. Some boxes contain just five bullet points. Some boxes are Q+A format and require long entries to explain a complicated issue. Consult with edref on its preferred style or look at previous examples of FACTBOXES to see what works best.
Bylines
A correspondent's byline underlines "ownership" and responsibility for a substantial part of the reporting. We do not byline routine reporting of a statement or news release or a newspaper or other pickup. We can use a byline on a story only against a dateline where the reporter was present.
Apart from newsbreaks, any news story may carry a byline if it contains original reporting. Length is not relevant. Double bylines may be used on stories originating from a single centre when the story is the product of significant reporting by two individuals, but should be used sparingly. Normally, a second reporter's contribution would be recognised in the "additional reporting" signoff. Never use more than two bylines on a single story, and keep it to a maximum two or three names in the "additional reporting" signoff. Stories with a double dateline that are bylined should carry a byline from each location.
Cross-heads (Sub-heads)
Cross-headings are used in all stories of 500 or more words to break the mass of copy into more digestible morsels. Cross-heads are sub-headlines of two to four words, all in upper case. Aim for something simple, informative and unbiased. Insert a line feed (that is a blank line) before the cross-head. One or two cross-heads are enough in a 500-600 word piece. Three or four will do in an 800-word story. Make sure the cross-heads don't break the flow of the story, for instance by breaking up a speaker's quotes.
Datelines
Datelines serve two purposes. One is to demonstrate that we have a presence. The other is to show where the action is taking place. We should generally dateline stories from places only where we
Guide to Operations 82 Guide to Operations 83 have a staff reporter, stringer or visuals journalist who has contributed to the reporting. It is sometimes legitimate to dateline stories from a place where we have a bureau even if the story is written elsewhere. In most cases, such stories will not require on-the-spot reporting and will usually be written by one bureau for another bureau in the same country. Any exceptions to this general principle should be discussed first with a senior editor in the region.
We do not use datelines in places where we are not present.
A Reuters dateline is indented four spaces at the start of the text field. Give the city in upper case. The date and the name (Reuters) are in upper and lower case. A dash between spaces separates the dateline from the opening paragraph of the text. Where a city is not the capital of a country or is not very well known worldwide, include the country. For example, MELBOURNE is well enough known to stand on its own. But it would be "WAGGA WAGGA, Australia."
In the Americas, the DL field in the DECADE header field must also be completed. Double datelines may be used on stories with a broadly similar amount of substantive information from two locations. The following U.S. cities stand alone in datelines without the need to mention their state:
• Atlanta • Baltimore* • Boston • Chicago • Cincinnati • Cleveland • Dallas • Denver • Detroit • Honolulu • Houston • Indianapolis • Las Vegas • Los Angeles • Miami • Milwaukee • Minneapolis • New Orleans • New York • Oklahoma City • Philadelphia • Phoenix • Pittsburg • St Louis • Salt Lake City • San Antonio • San Diego • San Francisco • Seattle • Washington
All items take datelines with the following exceptions: Items that are either tabular, entirely numerical or compilations of established background facts. These are Factbox, Chronology,
Guide to Operations 83 Guide to Operations 84 Earnings Table, Text, Diary, Advisory, New Issue, Sports Results, Sports Fixtures, Sports Standings, Sports Summaries, Take a Look, Top News, News Highlights, STXNEWS, FXNEWS, MMNEWS, Reuters Historical Calendar, Reuters Quote of the Day.
Items based on information received entirely by electronic means at a global centre need not carry a dateline if the dateline risks confusing the reader. This must have the approval of the relevant regional or global editor. If the story is about a company, it should identify where the company is based in the text. The signoff should identify where the story was written to ensure transparency. Items that do not carry a dateline use the following style: May 6 (Reuters) -
In this case, the date is that of the source of the electronic information and not the centre where the item was compiled (i.e. in a different time zone). Stories without datelines must say who wrote the story and the writer's location between single parentheses at the end of the item. All other information goes in the signoff. Signoffs of stories written by someone other than the reporter must also identify the name and location of the writer regardless of the dateline or the absence of a dateline.
Headlines
Headlines are both a presentational and writing issue. Far too many are dull, unclear and uninformative, prompting the reader to switch off, rather than tune in. Headlines are a maximum 50 characters after the tag, written in upper and lower case. They must be sharp, clear and informative. In the case of a screen reader, they must have the basic information needed to make a decision. Use short words instead of long; use the active voice, not passive; use present tense and avoid unfamiliar abbreviations. If it is a corporate story, insert key RICs. It is better to convey one idea crisply and clearly rather than cram in two ideas awkwardly.
Headline tags
Tags are used at the start of a headline to give screen clients a clearer idea of the type of story behind the headline. Some tags are allowed to be all upper case; others need to be presented in upper/lower case (Click here for the full list on Julius of tags and their definition).
Tags should be followed by a dash (no space) and the headline immediately after the dash (again no space). e.g.: ANALYSIS-White House change on Iran may reap benefits Approved tags do not count towards the 50 character limit on headlines.
Pool reports
A pool is a limited group of journalists from different news services who report on behalf of the entire press corps when space is limited or there are other constraints, such as safety, on general access
Guide to Operations 84 Guide to Operations 85 to an area or event. A single reporter may also constitute a pool.
The ground rules for pools, and in many cases the procedures for selecting pool members, should be clearly defined and understood.
Basically there are three kinds of pools:
• A single story is written on behalf of all pool members. • Individual pool members write their own stories which are filed on a collective pool basis. • The pool writer provides a detailed, chronological account of what happened in note form and journalists write their own stories from that.
If we know that the Reuters member of the pool has written the story we should use his or her byline, including an advisory line like this: (This story was written by Reuters correspondent Jane Smith on behalf of the pool of White House correspondents in Saudi Arabia.)
If the Reuters correspondent did not write the story we should not use a byline and should file an advisory line like this: (The pool of White House correspondents in Saudi Arabia of which Jane Smith of Reuters is a member wrote this story.) Add the word (POOL) to the slug of a pooled story, e.g. BC-TRANSMENIA-HOSTAGES (POOL).
Schedules
The Schedule (or Sked in newsroom jargon) is primarily a planning tool for media clients, providing a present tense approximation of the first paragraph of major stories that are planned, about to move or which have already moved and are worth highlighting. It does not list all stories on the file. The Schedule also serves as a news planning tool for editors. News must never be "saved for the Sked". We are a round-the-clock operation and publish news as it happens. Desk editors compile the Schedule from "skedlines" submitted by reporters and bureaux.
World News Schedules are issued six times a day on the Reuters World Service (RWS) main media wire and World Business News schedules three times a day on the business wire. Reuters Americas also issues two schedules for the Reuters North America (RNA) wire and three business schedules per day for business wire clients in the Americas. Wires go only to media clients so RICs should not be used on business schedules.
Schedule issue times
The World News Schedule is issued at 0200 GMT and 0600 GMT all year round and at the following GMT times during the London summer/winter; 1000/1100; 1400/1500; 1800/1900; 2200/2300.
Business News Schedules are sent at 0500 GMT (Asia) and by London at 0830/0930 GMT and
Guide to Operations 85 Guide to Operations 86 1230/1330 GMT.
In the Americas, skedlines must be filed early enough to meet the following deadlines: (All times New York time, i.e. EST in the winter or EDT in the summer) 0700 RAM general news media schedule 1030 RAM Reuters Business Report (RBR) media schedule 1030 RAM general news media schedule 1430 RAM Reuters Business Report (RBR) media schedule (Update 1) 1430 RAM general news media schedule 1700 RAM general news media schedule
Skedlines
Offerings for the Schedules are commonly known as "skedlines" and allow Reuters editors to see what stories are developing and select the most important for the "Sked"... Example: UNITED NATIONS - Zimbabwe should immediately halt its bulldozing of urban slums, a campaign that has been carried out in "an indiscriminate and unjustified manner, with indifference to human suffering," U.N. report says (ZIMBABWE-UN/ (UPDATE 2), moving at 0900, pix, tv, by Evelyn Leopold, 575 words). There should be no "cycle identifier" (i.e. "BC" meaning "both cycles") preceding the slug. In this example from the World News Schedule, 0900 is understood to mean 0900 GMT. If this were a U.S. Schedule, the time would be styled 9 a.m. and would be understood to be EST or EDT. The skedline must state whether there is a picture or television images to accompany the story, at what time the story moved or is expected to move, and how many words the story has or is expected to run to.
Desks will go back to the bureau if they think the story will be too long, or too late or should have accompany images.
In the Americas, reporters send a skedline either to the World Desk, Americas or to the relevant desk in New York, using the appropriate desk code. (A one word slug SKEDLINE on the Cy-Slug line of the DECADE header is sufficient. No headline needed on the GN-Head line of the DECADE header). For other regions, skedlines should be coded NEXT plus the relevant desk code (LON for London or ASDK for Asia), depending on which centre is compiling the next World Schedule. Skedlines should be sent at least half an hour before the Schedule is issued. Add a reasonable amount of time for desk editing when estimating the time you expect the story to be published. If you are unable to meet the landing time noted in the Schedule, you must advise the desk. If the delay is significant, an Advisory may have to be issued. On a big breaking story, the skedline should be sent after the Newsbreak. On a late breaking story, desks can take a skedline until the last minute as long as there is notice that one is coming. If an important news event is due, send a holding skedline stating briefly what is coming, the slug, when expected, author and wordage. If you miss a Schedule, send a skedline anyway so the desks can highlight the story as MOVED in the next one.
Sign-offs
Sign-offs give the contact details for the people most involved in researching and editing a story. They demonstrate accountability and also give clients a contact point if they have problems with a
Guide to Operations 86 Guide to Operations 87 story. A sign-off comprises a first line of content in single parentheses that lists the main people involved in creating and editing the story, followed by a second section in double parentheses that gives contact information for the reporter, or the primary reporter where more than one contributed.
So it would look like this:
(Reporting by Sam Thomas; Editing by June Singh)
(([email protected]; +1 646 897 1898; Reuters Messaging: [email protected] ))
The information in single brackets will go out to all clients; the section in double parentheses will only go to financial clients, as everything after the first set of double parentheses in any story is always stripped before the story goes out to media clients. Note the format: single indent for both lines of content; Reporting and Editing are capitalised, by is not capitalised; first line has single parentheses and does not contain any contact information, only roles and names; second line is in double parentheses and contains the contact information such as telephone numbers; no mention of e-mail or Tel; Reuters Messaging: is written just like that; telephone number includes + and country dial code; sections are separated by a semi-colon. Do not add items for other people, such as Editing by xxxx - this does not make it easier for the desk and all too often the result is that the xxxx goes out to clients.
Guidelines for particular story types:
1. BYLINED STORY - A byline gives the name of the reporter or reporters who have made the most substantial contribution to a story and have a responsibility for the bulk of the content.A story that carries a byline does not carry a "Reporting by" entry. Reason: duplication of information. Sign-off then would be: (Editing by June Singh)(([email protected]; +1 646 897 1898; Reuters Messaging: [email protected])) For double bylined stories add both sets of contact details in double parentheses, on merit. 2. BYLINED STORY WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTER(S) - Other reporters who contributed to a bylined story are credited, with their locations if they are different from those of the dateline: (Additional reporting by Mohan Kumar in Bangkok; Editing by June Singh)(([email protected]; +1 646 897 1898; Reuters Messaging:[email protected])) NOTE: "Additional reporting by" credits are generally not warranted if all you did was get a 'no comment' from a company spokesman. Let's be generous and chalk this up to teamwork. 3. NO BYLINE - Story carries single "Reporting by" credit that lists one or more reporters that worked on the story (in that single field). Reason: puts same information across in less space.(Reporting by Sam Thomas and Mohan Kumar; Editing by June Singh)(([email protected]; +1 646 897 1898; Reuters Messaging:[email protected])) 4. EDITING BY - Should usually show the name of the last person who edited the story or the person who did the most substantial edit. If the story was edited in the bureau before being sent to the desk, the "Editing by" field should show the name of the bureau editor and the person who finally pushed the button on the story. This field should never show more than two names. 5. WRITING BY - used on stories where the bylined reporter on the spot can report but not write, for whatever operational reason. Note that the contact details in this case should also
Guide to Operations 87 Guide to Operations 88 be for the writer. Reason: the reporter in this case is very probably not easy to reach. This field may also be used where a journalist has written a story that draws substantially on a series of stories from another Reuters service, possibly even adding some local reporting, rather than producing a straight translation of a story. (Writing by Olaf Brandt; Editing by June Sink)(([email protected]; +1 646 897 1335; Reuters Messaging: [email protected])) 6. TRANSLATED BY - used on stories that are translated into another language, alongside the credits for the original reporter(s) either in the byline or the sign-off, as outlined above. Contact details should be those of the translator unless the reporter can also easily field questions in the new language of the story. (Reporting by Sam Thomas; Translated by Jeanne Bouchard)(([email protected]; +33 1 1234 5678; Reuters Messaging: [email protected])) 7. SENSITIVE OR DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES - our reporters sometimes cannot be named because they are working in difficult or dangerous circumstances, where identification culd endanger them. If this is the case, leave the name of the reporter off the story and use the contact details for the desk or bureau Editor. 8. STRINGERS - if the reporter is a stringer who does not have Reuters contact details, then use their name as reporter but use contact details for the bureau or editor which handled the story. If you cannot use the stringer's name, use the name of the editor and his/her contact details.
Slugs and Slugging
A slug is a word or combination of words and numbers appearing at the start of stories to identify each one and, where necessary, establish links with related stories. All stories require slugs (see more details on Julius)
A slug is a tool that media and online clients use in word searches to retrieve stories that interest them. It is also a key tool within Reuters own systems to allow related content, including video and still images, to be packaged together. The "slugline" is all in capital letters, e.g.: RUSSIA-ECONOMY/IMF (UPDATE 1) All content that carries the same packaging slug (the section of the slug before the forward slash) will be automatically pulled together into a single news story package, in this case on the Russian economy (RUSSIA-ECONOMY).
No two stories published in the same 24-hour cycle should carry an identical slug. But it is important that linked stories should carry the same "packaging slug". The end of the packaging slug is identified by a forward slash /. This format will allow related material to be identified by the automated news event packager and presented to clients as a package. e.g. BRITAIN-ELECTION/POLLS, BRITAIN-ELECTION/POLICIES, BRITAIN-ELECTION/BLAIR (NEWSMAKER), BRITAIN-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 1) etc. Slugs start with a "BC-" designator ("BC" stands for "both cycles") to tell computers accepting the story that the story carries a slug e.g.: BC-RUSSIA-QUAKE/ or BC-CATHAY-RESULTS/ (URGENT)
There is no space before or after a hyphen. Additional information such as URGENT, UPDATE, FACTBOX etc, should appear in brackets one space after the end of the slug. This is also the space where you should indicate if there are pictures or video to illustrate a story. Where more than one of these is present, separate them by commas eg. (UPDATE 2, PIX, TV).
Guide to Operations 88 Guide to Operations 89 The 24-hour news day means that the counting of UPDATES, for example, usually reverts to 1 at midnight local time, but use common sense. If there is a plane crash at 11:15 at night and you've got an Update 1 out at 11:45 it might look a bit silly to revert to a new series at 12.10. Look for a natural break when you can start the series again.
How to slug
The slug on a story should indicate clearly and unambiguously what the story is about. Many words are suitable as slugs - country, region, company, event, institution, disease, person, category, subject etc. We should choose one word - or two words separated by a hyphen - to make up the "root" or packaging slug of the story. This should end in a forward slash /. The packaging slug stands alone on the main story (the UPDATE or WRAPUP) and on the most important visuals in the package. Separate but related stories should carry the same packaging slug plus another word after the / to best describe the content. For example, the main story from a Nato summit might be slugged NATO-SUMMIT/. A breaking story on a speech by President Bush at the conference would be slugged NATO-SUMMIT/BUSH, a factbox would be slugged NATO-SUMMIT/ISSUES (FACTBOX), a demonstration outside the venue would be slugged NATO-SUMMIT/PROTEST. The later trunk would be slugged NATO-SUMMIT/ (UPDATE 3). Broad category or thematic words should be avoided in sluglines unless they are appropriate, as can be the case on clearly defined or single-issue stories. Make sure you change the UPDATE number in the slugline when you re-lead the story, and make sure the Update number in the slug and headline match.
Unique Story Numbers (USNs)
The Unique Story Number (USN) links together pages of a story on terminals. As long as the same USN is used on each page of a story, our systems can join together the pages into a single item. The USN also allows us to correct, overwrite and replace stories on the screen. It is a basic desk and reporter function to check that correct USNs are used. Please note that USNs must be enclosed by square brackets and preceded by an "n" when they are used as a navigational tool in TOP NEWS SUMMARIES, TAKE A LOOKs etc. e.g.: "This story is accompanied by a Table. To retrieve, click on [nSYD12345].
The USN drill
A snap and newsbreak carry the same USN. The UPDATE 1 to that newsbreak takes a new USN and all subsequent updates retain that USN through the rest of the 24-hour news cycle. When a story begins without a snap or a newsbreak, the USN remains the same on all subsequent updates through the rest of the 24-hour news cycle. This applies to all types of story.
Exceptions:
A corrected story should take the same USN as the story it replaces. The next update in the series should take a new USN which remains on all subsequent updates. Market reports each take a separate USN.
Guide to Operations 89 Guide to Operations 90 Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 90 Guide to Operations 91 Photos
• A Brief Guide to Standards, Photoshop and Captions • Download The Complete Reuter's Photographers' Handbook (PDF)
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 91 Guide to Operations 92 A Brief Guide to Standards, Photoshop and Captions
Contents
• 1 General ♦ 1.1 Accuracy ♦ 1.2 Independence ♦ 1.3 Freedom from Bias ♦ 1.4 Integrity • 2 Photoshop ♦ 2.1 Rules ♦ 2.2 Guidelines ♦ 2.3 Technical Guidelines ♦ 2.4 To Recap • 3 Set-ups / Staging of Pictures • 4 Accuracy in Captions • 5 Sensitive Images in a Controlled Environment • 6 Photo Opportunities • 7 Caption examples
General
Everything we do as Reuters journalists has to be independent, free from bias and executed with the utmost integrity. These are our core values and stem from the Reuters Trust Principles.
Reuters Journalists:
• Always hold accuracy sacrosanct. • Always correct an error openly. • Always strive for balance and freedom from bias. • Always reveal a conflict of interest to a manager. • Always respect privileged information. • Always protect their sources from the authorities. • Always guard against putting their opinion in a news story or editorializing. • Never fabricate or plagiarise. • Never alter a still or moving image beyond the requirements of normal image enhancement. • Never pay for a story and never accept a bribe.
Accuracy
Accuracy means that our images and stories must reflect reality. Reuters is transparent about errors. We correct them promptly and clearly, whether in a story, a caption, a graphic or a script.
Guide to Operations 92 Guide to Operations 93 Independence
Independence is the essence of our reputation as a "stateless" global news organisation and fundamental to the trust that allows us to report impartially from all sides of a conflict or dispute. Our independence stems not only from the structure of Reuters but also from our duty as journalists to avoid conflicts of interest or situations that could give rise to a perception of a conflict.
Freedom from Bias
Reuters would not be Reuters without freedom from bias. This neutrality is a hallmark of our news brand and allows us to work on all sides of an issue, conflict or dispute without any agenda other than accurate, fair reporting.
Integrity
Integrity requires us to adhere to the highest ethical standards of our profession and to the values enshrined in The Reuters Trust Principles. As a member of the Reuters team, you are expected to accept certain responsibilities, adhere to acceptable professional standards in matters of personal conduct and exhibit a high degree of personal integrity at all times.
Photoshop
Photoshop is a highly sophisticated image manipulation programme. We use only a tiny part of its potential capability to format our pictures, crop and size them and balance the tone and colour.
Materially altering a picture in Photoshop or any other image editing software will lead to dismissal.
Rules
• No additions or deletions to the subject matter of the original image. (thus changing the original content and journalistic integrity of an image) • No excessive lightening, darkening or blurring of the image. (thus misleading the viewer by disguising certain elements of an image) • No excessive colour manipulation. (thus dramatically changing the original lighting conditions of an image)
Guide to Operations 93 Guide to Operations 94 Guidelines
Only minor Photoshop work should be performed in the field. (Especially from laptops). We require only cropping, sizing and levels with resolution set to 300dpi. Where possible, ask your regional or global picture desks to perform any required further Photo-shopping on their calibrated hi-resolution screens. This typically entails lightening/darkening, sharpening, removal of dust and basic colour correction.
When working under prime conditions, some further minor Photo-shopping (performed within the above rules) is acceptable.
This includes basic colour correction, subtle lightening/darkening of zones, sharpening, removal of dust and other minor adjustments that fall within the above rules. Reuters recommendations on the technical settings for these adjustments appear below. The level of Photoshop privileges granted to photographers should be at the discretion of the Chief/Senior Photographers within the above guidelines. All photographers should understand the limitations of their laptop screens and their working environments.
Photographers should trust the regional and global pictures desks to carry out the basic functions to prepare their images for the wire. All EiCs and sub editors from regional and the global desks will be trained in the use of Photoshop by qualified Adobe trainers to a standard set by senior pictures staff. The photographer can always make recommendations via the Duty Editor. Ask the desk to lighten the face, darken the left side, lift the shadows etc. Good communication with the desk is essential.
Technical Guidelines
Cloning, Healing or Brush Tools are not to be used. The single exception to this rule is sensor dust removal. The cloning tool will only be used below the 100 pixels radius setting. Unless performed on a well-calibrated screen under good working conditions we strongly recommend photographers to request dust removal by pictures desks.
Saturation should not be used. It affects image quality and cannot be judged well on a laptop screen and adds nothing more than what can be achieved in levels.
Colour Balance adjustment should be kept to the minimum, especially on laptop screens which tend to have a blue dominance.
Levels should only be adjusted to the start points of the histogram graph on both shadows and highlights.
Auto Levels should not be used.
The Burn Tool in most cases should only used to subtly darken areas that have been overexposed. When the burn tool is used in shadows a visible element of everything that can be seen in the raw file must remain visible.
Highlights and Shadows can be toned by using the selective highlights tool, a feather of 25-30 and then adjusted in curves.
Guide to Operations 94 Guide to Operations 95 The Lasso Tool should not be used when using a laptop to file pictures. It is essential that great care is taken with this tool to avoid the 'halo' effect which is produced when the feathering is too great and the tonal change 'bleeds over' into the unselected zone. Likewise, not enough feathering will produce a vivid jagged edge to the lasso area. Typically a feathering setting of between 5 and 20 pixels is used, depending on the size and positioning of the zone. Again we strongly recommend this is handled by desks.
The Eye Dropper can be used on a neutral gray area to set colour. But is dependent on the quality of the computer screen to determine if you are in fact seeing a real gray! Sharpening should be set at zero (0) in the camera. Pictures may then be sharpened by 300% at a radius of 0.3, threshold 0, in Photoshop.
No selective area sharpening should be done.
Third-party Sharpening Plug-ins are not permitted.
Third-party Noise-Reduction Plug-ins should be avoided but are acceptable if Chief Photographers are convinced they are being used properly.
Camera Settings, in particular saturation (and Image Styles in the Canon 5D) should be set to "standard" with the exception of in-camera sharpening which should be turned OFF. The Color setting Adobe RGB is the Reuters standard.
Multiple-Exposure pictures must be clearly identified in the caption and drawn to the attention of pictures desks before transmission.
To Recap
Allowed:
• Cropping • Adjustment of Levels to histogram limits • Minor colour correction • Sharpening at 300%, 0.3, 0 • Careful use of lasso tool • Subtle use of burn tool • Adjustment of highlights and shadows • Eye dropper to check/set gray
Not Allowed:
• Additions or deletions to image • Cloning & Healing tool (except dust) • Airbrush, brush, paint • Selective area sharpening • Excessive lightening/darkening • Excessive colour tone change
Guide to Operations 95 Guide to Operations 96
• Auto levels • Blurring • Eraser tool • Quick Mask • In-camera sharpening • In-camera saturation styles
The above list is not exhaustive. Global Pictures Desk Deputy Editor Pedja Kujundzic and Kevin Coombs will be available to answer any questions on use of other functions not mentioned above including latest CS2 and upcoming CS3 functions.
Set-ups / Staging of Pictures
Reuters photographers, staff and freelance, must not stage or re-enact news events. They may not direct the subjects of their images or add, remove or move objects on a news assignment. Our news photography must depict reality. Any attempt to alter that reality constitutes fabrication and can lead to disciplinary action, including dismissal.
Photographers may direct the subjects of portraits, formal interviews and non-news feature images needed to illustrate a story. The caption must not mislead the reader into believing these images are spontaneous.
The presence of the media can often influence how subjects behave. When the behavior shown is the result of the media's presence, our captions must make that clear. If photographers from outside Reuters orchestrate or set up scenes, it is still a set-up.
The best news photography occurs when the presence of the camera is not noticeable. Photographers should be as unobtrusive as possible to avoid influencing events and consider using long lenses.
Composite images that show the progression of an event (e.g. lunar eclipse, time lapse) must indicate the technique in their captions. They are never acceptable in a news assignment. Captions must also make clear when a specialty lens (e.g. lens babies, tilt-shift lenses) or a special technique (e.g. soft focus, zooming) has been used to create an image in portraiture or on a features assignment.
Handout images from outside sources should be examined carefully for accuracy and news value. Questionable handout images will be reviewed by the Duty Editor in Charge, whose decision is final on whether they are published. Photographers or Editors who pass on handout images must alert the Duty EIC if the image is suspect.
Guide to Operations 96 Guide to Operations 97 Accuracy in Captions
Just as our news photographs must reflect reality, so too should our captions. They must adhere to the basic Reuters rules of accuracy and freedom from bias and must answer the basic questions of good journalism. Who is in the picture? Where was it taken? When was it taken? What does it show? Why is a subject doing a particular thing?
Captions are written in the present tense and should use concise, simple English. They generally consist of a single sentence but a second sentence should be added if additional context or explanation is required.
Contentious information, like death tolls in conflict, must be sourced. The caption must explain the circumstances in which a photograph was taken and state the correct date.
Captions must not contain assumptions by the photographer about what might have happened, even when a situation seems likely. Explain only what you have witnessed. All other information about an event must be sourced unless you are certain of your information.
Captions also should not make assumptions about what a person is thinking e.g. England captain David Beckham ponders his future after his team was knocked out of the World Cup soccer finals ... Stick to what the photo shows and what you know.
The Duty Editor-in-Charge will come back to the photographer or the Chief Photographer with questions if the caption does not fully explain the image. For this reason, photographers must remain contactable until their work is published.
Sensitive Images in a Controlled Environment
Some of our photographs are taken under controlled conditions in which photographers cannot operate freely. This is particularly true during conflicts and in countries where the media's movements are restricted.
Such photographs must say if the image was taken during an organised or escorted visit unless the photographer was truly free to work independently. The circumstances can usually be indicated in a short, second sentence in the caption. For examples, please see Appendix 'A' of the complete Guide to Caption-Writing for Reuters.
Photo Opportunities
Reuters does not stage news photos. Sometimes, subjects may strike an artificial pose, such as at a product launch, a show business event or a sports victory ceremony or when requested to do so to illustrate a feature. In some circumstances, such as during demonstrations, civil unrest, street celebrations or conflict, the presence of photographers and television crews may prompt subjects to act abnormally.
Guide to Operations 97 Guide to Operations 98 These images should be few and can be clichés. They must be clearly captioned to show the reader that the actions are not spontaneous and to explain the context. There are many ways to describe the situation without saying that the subject "poses" for a photograph, though we should say so when it is clearly the case.
See below a selection of examples. For a more complete set, with pictures, please see Appendix 'F' of the complete Guide to Caption Writing for Reuters.
The Global Pictures Desk will flag any possible issues to the Chief Photographer who carries the responsibility for the file from the region in question.
Caption examples
• An employee of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd shows the media the company's new 32-Gigabit NAND flash memory card (top) and chip during a news conference in Seoul September 11, 2006. Samsung said it has developed the world's first 32-Gigabit NAND flash memory devices. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon (SOUTH KOREA) • Actress Helen Mirren poses with the Coppa Volpi at the Venice Film Festival September 9, 2006. Mirren won the Best Actress award for her role in director Stephen Frears' movie 'The Queen'. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (ITALY) • A man lies dead in the street May 7 after a NATO daylight air raid near a market over the town of Nis some 200 kilometres south of Belgrade. The Yugoslav army took media to show them damage it said the raid caused to two residential areas and a hospital. REUTERS/Desmond Boylan • Nobel Peace prize winner Wangari Maathai hugs a tree for photographers in Nairobi October 9, 2004. Maathai, a Kenyan, became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the first Nobel given to an environmentalist. REUTERS/Radu Sigheti • A Mexican soccer fan wearing a traditional sombrero waves his country's flag at a photographer before a Copa America quarterfinal match against Brazil at Miguel Grau stadium in Piura, July 18, 2004. REUTERS/Henry Romero
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 98 Guide to Operations 99 Video
• A Brief Guide to the Standards and Values of Reuters Video News • The Complete Reuters Video News Handbook
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 99 Guide to Operations 100 A Brief Guide to the Standards and Values of Reuters Video News
Contents
• 1 General ♦ 1.1 Accuracy ♦ 1.2 Independence ♦ 1.3 Freedom from Bias ♦ 1.4 Integrity • 2 Reuters Television
General
Everything we do as Reuters journalists has to be independent, free from bias and executed with the utmost integrity. These are our core values and stem from the Reuters Trust Principles. This is a brief guide to our standards. Full details are available in The Handbook of Reuters Journalism.
Reuters journalists:
• Always hold accuracy sacrosanct. • Always correct an error openly. • Always strive for balance and freedom from bias. • Always reveal a conflict of interest to a manager. • Always respect privileged information. • Always protect their sources from the authorities. • Always guard against putting their opinion in a news story. • Never fabricate or plagiarise. • Never alter a still or moving image beyond the requirements of normal image enhancement. • Never pay for a story and never accept a bribe.
Accuracy
Accuracy means that our images and stories must reflect reality. Reuters is transparent about errors. We correct them promptly and clearly, whether in a story, a caption, a graphic or a script.
Guide to Operations 100 Guide to Operations 101 Independence
Independence is the essence of our reputation as a "stateless" global news organisation and fundamental to the trust that allows us to report impartially from all sides of a conflict or dispute. Our independence stems not only from the structure of Reuters but also from our duty as journalists to avoid conflicts of interest or situations that could give rise to a perception of a conflict.
Freedom from Bias
Reuters would not be Reuters without freedom from bias. This neutrality is a hallmark of our news brand and allows us to work on all sides of an issue, conflict or dispute without any agenda other than accurate, fair reporting.
Integrity
Integrity requires us to adhere to the highest ethical standards of our profession and to the values enshrined in The Reuters Trust Principles. As a member of the Reuters team, you are expected to accept certain responsibilities, adhere to acceptable professional standards in matters of personal conduct and exhibit a high degree of personal integrity at all times.
Reuters Television
Whenever we are planning, covering or producing television stories, any ethical issues must first be held up to the guiding principles of accuracy, independence, freedom from bias and integrity. We have a duty to report stories accurately and impartially, giving additional information where necessary to clients about how that coverage was gathered, and the source of any video and textual information.
• Our scripts and shot-lists must be clear as to the source of any video material used, whether from Reuters, an allied broadcaster, amateur video, or third party which may have a political or commercial agenda (companies, lobby groups, military, militias, governments etc): e.g. "â ¦ video provided by the environmental group Greenpeace shows â ¦" or "â ¦video downloaded from a Web site known to be used by the group purports to show â ¦" or "â ¦amateur video obtained by Reuters â ¦" With increased distribution of video over the public Internet, we may want to show the streaming video/still photographs as they appear on a PC or mobile handset screen. Producers and camera operators should consult news editors before using this footage, or any other third-party footage or photographs where copyright or authenticity may be an issue. • The circumstances under which video is gathered may be important. We do not accept
Guide to Operations 101 Guide to Operations 102 "junkets" from corporate/showbiz entities to cover stories at their expense, we never accept bribes and we do not accept gifts beyond those of nominal value. If we think it is a story we want, we should generally pay our own travel. Sometimes, however, we must travel with other entities as it is the only way to get to a story safely. If, for example, we have gone to the scene of a story as part of a military embed or with an aid agency going to a disaster, we must say so in our script: e.g. "â ¦ in a trip organised by the Israeli military, journalists were taken toâ ¦" Various entities often try to manipulate or stage-manage events - from military areas to business and entertainment. If we are restricted from going to certain areas or prevented from asking certain questions, we should make this clear in our copy. If we feel we are being unduly restricted and that the result would be a slanted story, we should be ready - in consultation with higher editorial management - to refuse to cover an event. Organised news events should be identified as such e.g. "â ¦the CEO was speaking at a live media event organised by the companyâ ¦" • The mere presence of television cameras can affect what happens in the area being filmed. If someone is demonstrating something for us, we must say so; if a protest occurs in response to us turning up, we must say so: e.g. "â ¦residents protested at the scene of the attack after journalists arrived in the area" or "â ¦local rescue workers showed the media the bodies of those who died in the disaster." • Reuters does not pay newsmakers for stories. However, we deal frequently with third-party material and we must be vigilant to ensure we have legal access to such material, for example in using appropriate Reuters forms in purchasing amateur or freelance video, both for news and archive purposes. We must source material as per the guidelines above, and be circumspect about what we say about such third-party material: e.g. "â ¦ the video purports to showâ ¦" We should say in our scripts and shot-lists if we are unable to verify what the video purports to show or when it was shot. There are cases when we do feel obliged to run compelling video, but we should be clear to our subscribers about what we know and what we don't know about the origin and contents of such material. • We have a duty to show the scene of any story accurately without adding or removing - either physically or electronically - any contents. Reuters Television staff must do only what is minimally necessary to improve the technical quality of video. Our staff must never manipulate or add/remove the contents of video. Audio must never be added which may affect the editorial interpretation of a sequence or story. • We never fake, fabricate or plagiarise a story. Video stories must not be shot, edited or scripted in a way which misleads the viewer or subscriber. We must tell the story accurately and strive to record events exactly as they happen. As neutral observers, we play no part in an event beyond documenting it. For example, when shooting demonstrations, we need to convey the scale of the event accurately, using wide shots as well as close-ups. We must identify when we use file and never misrepresent the source, location or date of video. We write our own stories based on our own newsgathering (including text and still photographs). When we use another source for information, we must identify that source. We do not lift sections of copy from other news sources, Web sites or online encyclopedias. • We must issue corrections promptly to subscribers. • Whenever possible, we should run video in a natural state. In some circumstances, sections of video must be pixillated for legal reasons. If we do this, our scripts should state why. • Reuters Television journalists must take great care to avoid any actual or perceived conflicts of interest. They must not work for, or be associated with - even in their private lives - business, political, journalistic or military groups which might impact their duties or the perception that they are impartial. Employees are bound by Reuters rules on share holdings in companies they might be required to report on and it is the duty of the television journalist to alert their manager to any potential conflicts of interest.
Guide to Operations 102 Guide to Operations 103
• Reuters protects our sources of news and vigorously defends the integrity of our journalists. We do not divulge the sources of our content to officials and we resist handing over our raw video to governmental, police or military authorities unless the physical safety of our journalists is under immediate threat. Any requests or demands to hand over our material must be referred immediately to senior editorial management. • We often have to deal with graphic, sexually explicit and other sensitive material. As an agency we are more likely than a broadcaster to lean on the side of distributing such material for the sake of historical accuracy and context and leave it to the discretion of subscribers as to what they put to air. In extreme circumstances, such as images of execution or torture or sexual scenes of a graphic nature, a senior editor must be consulted on the use or otherwise of the video. We must alert clients boldly in our scripts and slates that graphic or explicit content follows so they may take any measures they deem appropriate to shield their newsroom staff. We must also alert them that higher level discussion might be required in their own news services as to how to treat such material for their audiences. We should be conscious of the sensitivities of our own staff in dealing with such images, allowing those who think they may be impacted by the content to be removed from the process. • It is not possible to predict or codify every ethical dilemma we might face as journalists. Different laws may also apply in different countries, such as in relation to the filming of children or secret filming. If you are in any doubt about a situation, you must refer the matter to higher editorial management.
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 103 Guide to Operations 104 Domestic Service Guides
The following guides are available
• Italian Service Reuters Manuale di giornalismo • Japanese Service å ±é å ºæº ã »ã ¹ã ¿ã ¤ã «ã »ã ªã 㠬㠼㠷㠧㠳㠫㠤ã ã ¦ • Portuguese Service MANUAL DE OPERAà à ES EDITORIAIS DA REUTERS • Spanish Service MANUAL DE OPERACIONES DEL DEPARTAMENTO EDITORIAL DE REUTERS
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 104 Guide to Operations 105 Italian Service
Introduzione
Tutto quello che facciamo come giornalisti di Reuters deve essere indipendente, imparziale e improntato all'integrità più assoluta. Questi sono i nostri valori ispiratori, che derivano dai Trust Principles, i princìpi deontologici di Reuters. Siamo un'agenzia di stampa in tempo reale che fonda la sua reputazione sulla credibilità , ma teniamo in debita considerazione anche l'accuratezza, la rapidità e l'esclusività . Il modo in cui chi lavora con Reuters vive questi valori è regolato dal nostro Code of Conduct. Tale codice di condotta, con alcune eccezioni di rilievo che riguardano in particolare i giornalisti, regola il comportamento di tutti quelli che lavorano per Reuters ed è una lettura imprescindibile. In quanto giornalisti, tuttavia, abbiamo anche altre responsabilità , se vogliamo realizzare le aspirazioni più alte della nostra professione, cioè ricercare e riferire la verità in maniera equilibrata, onesta e autorevole. Questo manuale non vuole essere una raccolta di "regole" per realizzare i nostri obiettivi. **Se si esula dai peccati capitali del plagio, dalla falsificazione e dalla corruzione, la nostra è una professione che deve essere governata da princìpi ispiratori etici, piuttosto che da regole rigide. I primi aprono la via a un giornalismo migliore e più libero, le seconde vincolano e limitano la nostra capacità di agire. Queste pagine sono un tentativo di definire tali princìpi di riferimento, per poter prendere decisioni e adottare comportamenti nell'interesse di Reuters, dei nostri azionisti, clienti, contatti, lettori, nonché della nostra professione. Questo manuale non è frutto di un solo individuo. Nelle sedi nazionali come in quelle internazionali, decine di redattori, operatori televisivi e fotografi hanno contribuito a integrare e mettere a punto l'opera dei colleghi che, troppi negli ultimi 150 anni per venire ricordati tutti, con la propria dedizione ai princìpi etici più alti della nostra professione,hanno reso Reuters la straordinaria agenzia di stampa che è oggi.
Paul Holmes, Global Editor, Political and General News
I giornalisti di Reuters:
• considerano sacra l'accuratezza; • correggono sempre apertamente gli errori ; • perseguono sempre l'equilibrio e l'imparzialità ; • comunicano sempre conflitti di interesse a un superiore; • rispettano sempre le informazioni privilegiate; • proteggono sempre le proprie fonti dalle autorità ; • evitano sempre di far trasparire la propria opinione o posizione; • non compiono mai un falso né un plagio; • non ritoccano mai una foto o un filmato oltre i limiti delle normali tecniche di miglioramento delle immagini; • non pagano mai per ottenere una notizia e non si fanno mai corrompere.
• Le qualità di un giornalista di Reuters • Come si scrive per Reuters • Correzioni, pezzi ritirati, ripetizioni ed embarghi
Guide to Operations 105 Guide to Operations 106
• Approfondimenti • Investimenti personali detenuti dai giornalisti di Reuters • Pericoli legali, articoli all'attenzione del responsabile e notizie prive di fondamento
Category: Guide to Operations
Guide to Operations 106 The Reuters General Style Guide
The Reuters General Style Guide 107 The Reuters General Style Guide 108 A
Contents
• 1 AAA or triple-A • 2 abattoir • 3 abbreviations • 4 -able • 5 A-bomb • 6 abortion • 7 ABS • 8 abscess • 9 academic titles • 10 accept, except • 11 access • 12 accessible • 13 accidentally, not accidently. • 14 accolade, not acolade. • 15 accommodate, not accomodate. • 16 Achilles heel, tendon • 17 acknowledgment, not acknowledgement. • 18 acolyte, not acolite. • 19 acre • 20 acronyms • 21 acting • 22 activity • 23 actor • 24 acute, chronic • 25 AD • 26 adage • 27 adapter, adaptor • 28 ADB • 29 additional/in addition to • 30 adjectives • 31 ad-lib • 32 administration • 33 admiral • 34 admissible, inadmissible, not admissable • 35 admit • 36 ad nauseam • 37 adoption • 38 ADR • 39 adrenaline, not adrenalin • 40 advance, advancement • 41 advance planning • 42 adverbs • 43 adverse, averse • 44 advice, advise • 45 adviser • 46 aeroplane
The Reuters General Style Guide 108 The Reuters General Style Guide 109
• 47 affect, effect • 48 AFL-CIO • 49 Afrikaner • 50 Afrikaans • 51 aftermath • 52 AG • 53 Afterwards, but in American style afterward • 54 aggravate, annoy • 55 age • 56 ageing, but in American style aging • 57 aged, elderly • 58 agenda • 59 AGM • 60 AIDS • 61 air base • 62 Airbus • 63 aircraft • 64 air fare • 65 air force • 66 Air Force One • 67 Air France-KLM • 68 airlift • 69 airlines • 70 air raid • 71 air strike • 72 alibi • 73 Al Jazeera • 74 al Qaeda • 75 albino, albinos • 76 alfresco • 77 alias • 78 all right • 79 all rounder • 80 All Saints' Day • 81 all-time, all time • 82 Allahu akbar • 83 allege • 84 allot, allotting, allotted • 85 allude, refer • 86 allusion, illusion • 87 Almaty • 88 almost exactly • 89 alpine • 90 altar, alter • 91 altercation • 92 alternate, alternative • 93 altitudes • 94 Aluminium • 95 alumnus (man) alumna (woman) alumni (plural) • 96 Alzheimer s disease
The Reuters General Style Guide 109 The Reuters General Style Guide 110
• 97 a.m. • 98 AM • 99 ambassador • 100 ambience, not ambiance. • 101 American • 102 American Indian • 103 American spelling • 104 Americas • 105 America's Cup • 106 amid • 107 amok, not amock or amuck. • 108 among, between • 109 ampersand • 110 anaemia, anaemic but anemia, anemic is American style. • 111 analog, not analogue • 112 analysts • 113 ancestor • 114 and • 115 annex • 116 annual meeting • 117 another • 118 Antarctic, Antarctica • 119 antennae, antennas • 120 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty • 121 anticipate, expect • 122 anti- • 123 antitrust • 124 aneurysm • 125 anxious, eager • 126 any more • 127 anything • 128 anywhere • 129 anyone, any one • 130 APEC • 131 apostolic delegate • 132 apostrophes • 133 appeal • 134 appraise, apprise • 135 appreciation • 136 approximately • 137 April Fool's Day • 138 Arab names • 139 arbitrator, arbiter, mediator • 140 archaeology, but American style is archeology • 141 Arctic Sea, Arctic Circle • 142 Argentina, Argentine • 143 aroma • 144 armada • 145 army
The Reuters General Style Guide 110 The Reuters General Style Guide 111
• 146 around • 147 artefact,but American style is artifact • 148 arrest • 149 as • 150 as, like • 151 ASEAN • 152 Asian subcontinent • 153 assassin, assassination • 154 assert • 155 Astana • 156 Asiatic • 157 at the present time, at this time • 158 athlete s foot • 159 attache • 160 attempt • 161 ATM • 162 audiovisual • 163 augur, auger • 164 Australian Labor Party • 165 Autarchy, autarky • 166 author • 167 automaker • 168 auxiliary, not auxilliary. • 169 averages • 170 AU • 171 averse • 172 awakened • 173 awe-struck • 174 awhile, a while • 175 axe, axed, axeing; but American style is ax, axed, axing
AAA or triple-A
Top rating for bonds of the highest quality. Awarded by the main rating agencies: Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch. No quote marks around ratings.
See also credit rating, www.moodys.com , www2.standardandpoors.com, www.fitchratings.com, Moody's, Standard & Poor's
abattoir
Not abbatoir.
The Reuters General Style Guide 111 The Reuters General Style Guide 112 abbreviations
Avoid inventing acronyms or abbreviations and never invent short spellings of proper company names. We may use some abbreviations for brevity but never at the expense of clarity. A reader should never have to read backwards to find out what an abbreviation means. Use a generic term, e.g. the company or the organisation, rather than stud a story with abbreviations, especially where more than one or two sets of initials are involved.
Space constraints on alerts and headlines make it tempting to invent new short forms for words and create company names, but a better and more accurate headline is almost always possible. It is not acceptable to change the spelling of a proper company name. An abbreviation, if widely known, should be used instead, e.g. IBM not Intl Bus. Mach.. Some very common abbreviations, e.g. AIDS, NATO, may be used alone at first reference with the full name given subsequently. These are listed in the quick reference entries. Abbreviations of two initials take full stops, e.g. U.S. and U.N. The exceptions are EU (European Union) and UK (United Kingdom). The full stops may be omitted in alerts and headlines if there are space constraints. Abbreviations of three or more initials and acronyms (words composed of initials or initial syllables) do not take full stops, e.g. IBM, UNICEF, WEU. If initials are well known, e.g. PLO, you need not bracket the initials after the first full reference. You may write The Palestine Liberation Organisation has sent two envoys ... and then a PLO statement said the two men would ... If the institution is little known, bracket the initials after the first reference, e.g. The Western European Union (WEU) decided on Tuesday. In the case of foreign groups, where the word order changes in the English translation, bracket the initials, e.g. the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). Do not bracket initials after a first reference if you are not going to use the initials again lower in the story. Form the plural of abbreviations by adding a lower-case s without an apostrophe, e.g. ICBMs not ICBM s or ICBMS. Do not use full stops when abbreviating the names of months in datelines. The style is Jan, Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec. In tabulated lists use only the first three letters for all months, e.g. Jan, Jun, Jul. Abbreviate the names of months in text when they are used with a specific date, e.g. Jun. 19, Dec. 25. Use capital letters when abbreviating capitalised words, lower case for uncapitalised phrases, e.g. ASEAN but mph, bpd.
-able
Words ending in a silent -e normally drop the "e" before the -able, e.g. arguable. Words ending in -ce or -ge do not, e.g. changeable, ageing.
A-bomb
Use atomic bomb, unless in a direct quote. abortion
Unless quoting someone, refer to aborted foetuses rather than unborn babies. Describe those campaigning for a woman s right to have an abortion as abortion rights campaigners and those campaigning against abortion rights as anti-abortion campaigners. Terms such as pro-choice,
The Reuters General Style Guide 112 The Reuters General Style Guide 113 pro-life and pro-abortion are open to dispute and should be avoided.
ABS
Asset-backed securities: securities collateralised by assets such as car loans and credit card receivables, which can be seized if the debtor defaults. ABS are created by the process of securitisation whereby banks pool types of loans and use them as collateral or security against a bond issue.
abscess academic titles
Capitalise when they immediately precede a personal name, otherwise use lower case, e.g. Professor John Smith.
accept, except
Accept is to take or receive; except is to leave out. access
Do not use as a verb. accessible accidentally, not accidently. accolade, not acolade. accommodate, not accomodate.
The Reuters General Style Guide 113 The Reuters General Style Guide 114 Achilles heel, tendon
Note apostrophe and capitalisation. acknowledgment, not acknowledgement. acolyte, not acolite. acre
To convert to hectares roughly multiply by 2 and divide by 5. To convert precisely multiply by 0.405. acronyms
Avoid if at all possible. Very few are understandable at first reference. Most are only of use to a specialised audience that has seen them several times before. Where possible replace with a noun such as the committee, the organisation, the inquiry. acting
Do not capitalise before a title, acting Chairman and Chief Executive Paulo Georgio. activity
The word can often be dropped, as in sporting activity, golfing activity, leisure activity, political activity. actor actor (man), actress (woman). acute, chronic
Acute is coming to a crisis, chronic is lasting a long time or deep-seated. Be specific when writing about disease or problems.
The Reuters General Style Guide 114 The Reuters General Style Guide 115 AD
Anno Domini (in the year of our Lord). Precedes the date, e.g. AD 73. But 234 BC (Before Christ). adage
A proverb or old saying. Old adage is tautologous. adapter, adaptor
An adapter is the person who adapts something. An adaptor is a device for connecting parts of different sizes. American style uses adapter for both.
ADB
Asian Development Bank. A multilateral development finance institution, with headquarters in Manila, dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific. Owned by member countries, mostly from the region.
additional/in addition to
Use more or and. adjectives
Use sparingly. Inject colour into copy with strong verbs and facts, rather than adjectives. If you use more than two adjectives before a single noun then rewrite the sentence. A reader struggles with The one-eyed poverty-stricken Greek house painter. Avoid adjectives that imply judgment, e.g. a hard-line speech, a glowing tribute, a staunch conservative. Depending on where they stand, some people might consider the speech moderate, the tribute fulsome or the conservative a die-hard reactionary. When using an adjective and a noun together as an adjective, hyphenate them, e.g. a blue-chip share, high-caste Hindus. When using an adjective and the past participle of a verb together adjectivally, hyphenate them, e.g. old-fashioned morality, rose-tinted spectacles. Do not hyphenate an adverb and adjective when they stand alone, e.g. the artist was well known. If the adverb and adjective are paired to form a new adjective, they are hyphenated, e.g. a well-known artist. Do not do so however if the adverb ends in -ly, e.g. a poorly planned operation. ad-lib
Hyphenated for verb, noun and adjective.
The Reuters General Style Guide 115 The Reuters General Style Guide 116 administration
Always lower case, e.g. the Bush administration. See also capitalisation. admiral
See capitalisation. admissible, inadmissible, not admissable
Admissions of responsibility is officialese. Did they do it or didn't they? admit
Use with care. If you say someone admitted something you imply that it had previously been concealed or that there is an element of guilt. Plain said is usually better. ad nauseam adoption
Refer to a child s adoptive status only when the fact is clearly significant. Use the term birth mother to refer to the woman who gave birth to a child, if a distinction must be made with the woman who raised the child. Birth father and birth parent are also preferred style. Do not use real or natural to describe parents or children. Avoid loaded and dated phrases such as give away a child , give up for adoption and unwanted child . Adoptive as an adjective can refer to parents or the general subject of adoption. Try to describe actions instead of creating labels such as adopted child e.g. Hollywood actress Sharon Celebrity, who gave birth to a daughter on Friday, has two other children. She adopted Pixie, 4, and Tinkerbell, 2, during her previous marriage to actor Tim Hunk. Be wary of cultural bias or value judgments in covering international adoptions and disputes over parental rights involving families from different cultures or socio-economic backgrounds.
ADR
American Depositary Receipt. Certificates tradeable like shares that allow U.S. investors to buy stock in an overseas company while realising capital gains and dividends in dollars.
The Reuters General Style Guide 116 The Reuters General Style Guide 117 adrenaline, not adrenalin advance, advancement
Advance is progress; advancement is promotion. advance planning
A tautology. adverbs
Like adjectives they should be used sparingly. Avoid adverbs that imply judgment, e.g. generously, harshly, and sternly. Put the adverb between the auxiliary verb and the past participle, e.g. France has already refused... not France already has refused ... However, American usage favours keeping the auxiliary verb and past participle together, with the adverb either before or after the compound verb. e.g. France has refused already... or France already has refused... adverse, averse
Adverse is contrary, opposed or unfavourable. Averse is disinclined to or reluctant. I am averse to go camping in adverse weather. advice, advise
Advice is the noun, advise is the verb. adviser
Not advisor. aeroplane
Use aircraft. Do not use the U.S. term airplane. In many cases stories need the specific type of aircraft. affect, effect affect is a verb meaning to influence, effect is usually a noun meaning outcome or consequence, e.g. The effect of the decision will affect the company s decision. Effect as verb means to
The Reuters General Style Guide 117 The Reuters General Style Guide 118 accomplish, e.g. He effected his escape with the aid of his wife. However, affect is a vague word; be more precise. Effect is usually word-spinning. He escaped... is simpler.
AFL-CIO
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
Afrikaner
A white South African, usually of Dutch descent.
Afrikaans
The language spoken by Afrikaners. aftermath
Prefer results. Use after rather than in the aftermath of.
AG
German company title: abbreviation of Aktiengesellschaft, a joint-stock company.
Afterwards, but in American style afterward aggravate, annoy
Aggravate makes worse. Do not use in the sense of to irritate. Annoy is to cause trouble to someone. age
Use numerals for all ages, e.g. the 6-year-old girl, the 9-year-old boy. The 66-year-old president or an 18-year-old youth are fine. Avoid the 66-year-old Smith, which suggests he is being distinguished from another, 65-year-old Smith; said instead, in a simple way, Smith, who is 66, or just Smith, 66,.
The Reuters General Style Guide 118 The Reuters General Style Guide 119 ageing, but in American style aging aged, elderly
Avoid, because the terms are always relative. In some societies a 50-year-old is already aged. In others a sprightly 90-year-old who has just written a novel or run a marathon would object to being called aged or elderly. agenda
Agenda singular, agendas plural.
AGM
Use annual meeting.
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection. The initials AIDS and HIV are used at first reference with the full name given lower in the story. Do not write HIV virus, which is redundant. See medical stories on the need for caution in handling stories about reputed cures for AIDS. air base
Two words.
Airbus
One word, capitalised, unhyphenated. aircraft
Prefer to plane. Most airliners and military aircraft are jets so there is normally no need to specify that an aircraft is a jet. Warplane is one word. Do not use the American term airplane or the term fighter jet. Capitalise but do not put in quotation marks the names of aircraft, e.g. Concorde, Flogger, Tomcat. When the number designating an aircraft is preceded by a letter or letters, hyphenate, e.g. Boeing 747 but DC-10, F-111. Be specific when giving aircraft models in economic stories because there are cost differences, e.g. Boeing 747-400 not just Boeing 747. Use makers names in the form given in Jane s All the World s Aircraft, e.g. MiG-21. Give numerals for aircraft speeds, e.g. Mach 1 not Mach one. Aircraft names use a hyphen when changing from letters to
The Reuters General Style Guide 119 The Reuters General Style Guide 120 figures, no hyphen when adding a letter to figures, eg F-15 Eagle/747B, but Airbus 3000 is an exception. air fare
Two words. air force
Two words.
Air Force One
This is the radio call sign of any fixed-wing aircraft used by the president of the United States. The U.S. Marine Corps is responsible for presidential helicopter support. Marine One is the radio call sign of any helicopter used by the president.
Air France-KLM
Note hyphen airlift
Do not use as a synonym for fly, e.g. The injured man was airlifted to hospital. Reserve it for shuttle services, e.g. The United States airlifted 50,000 troops to the Gulf. airlines
Airlines vary widely in their use of air line(s), airline(s) or airways as part of their name. Check the spelling on the company s Web site. air raid
Two words. air strike
Two words.
The Reuters General Style Guide 120 The Reuters General Style Guide 121 alibi
Not a synonym for an excuse. It means a claim to have been elsewhere at the time of an offence.
Al Jazeera
Qatar television station. Use upper case A and no hyphen since this is how the broadcaster describes itself in English. Refer to as an Arab news channel broadcasting in Arabic and in English. al Qaeda
Created by Osama bin Laden in the late 1980s, al Qaeda ("The Base") is a militant movement that supports violent attacks on the West, Israel and governments in Muslim countries allied to the West that it believes prevent the creation of a 'pure' Islamic world. The movement became more diffuse after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and some key figures were captured or killed. However, new wings have emerged in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and North Africa.
Now the term al Qaeda is used by different people to mean different things. When authorities speak about an "al Qaeda plot", we should try to pin down whether they mean it was ordered and directed by "core al Qaeda" or generally inspired by the anti-Western ideology of bin Laden. albino, albinos alfresco
Use in the open air, or outdoors. alias
Refers only to assumption of a false name, not an entire false identity or profession. all right
Not alright. all rounder
Two words, e.g. a cricketer who bats and bowls.
The Reuters General Style Guide 121 The Reuters General Style Guide 122 All Saints' Day
November 1. Note apostrophe. all-time, all time
The greatest singer of all time, but an all-time low. Do not write an all-time record. It is simply a record. Always ensure superlatives such as all-time high are checked and sourced..
Allahu akbar
God is Greatest (not, as often written, God is Great), a common Muslim rallying cry. Also chanted when Muslims perform their five daily prayers. allege
Avoid. Do not report allegations without saying who made them. Use of the word alleged before a defamatory statement does not provide immunity against an action for libel. Do not use allegedly. allot, allotting, allotted allude, refer
Allude means to refer to in passing without making an explicit mention. Refer means to mention directly. He alluded to the sins of his past and referred to his criminal record. allusion, illusion
Allusion is a reference in passing. Illusion is a false impression or a delusion.
Almaty
Not Alma-Ata. The biggest city in Kazakhstan and the country's commercial hub. The capital was shifted to Astana in 1997. almost exactly
It is either exact, or not.
The Reuters General Style Guide 122 The Reuters General Style Guide 123 alpine lower case, except for Alpine skiing. altar, alter
Altar is a table used for religious services. Alter is to change. They altered the altar to make it fit the church. altercation
An altercation is an argument or heated exchange of words, not a fight. alternate, alternative
Alternate means that A and B take turns, alternative that you have a choice between A and B. There can only be two alternatives. Any more and you face choices, options or possibilities. altitudes
Convert metres to feet not yards when giving altitudes.
Aluminium
But aluminum in American style. alumnus (man) alumna (woman) alumni (plural)
Alzheimer s disease
A progressive, incurable and disabling disease leading to severe dementia. Although it usually occurs in elderly people it is not synonymous with dementia or senility. a.m.
Time, e.g. 6 a.m., 6:45 a.m.
The Reuters General Style Guide 123 The Reuters General Style Guide 124 AM
The amplitude modulation method of radio transmission. ambassador
Use for a man or a woman. ambience, not ambiance.
American
As a noun this may be used to describe a U.S. citizen.
American Indian
Acceptable but Native American (capitalised) is preferred, bearing in mind that this includes e.g. Inuit who are not Indians. Where possible, be more specific and give the name of the tribe (eg. Navajo, Cherokee). See race
American spelling
There are two generally accepted spelling systems for the English language. Our global client base are accustomed to reading both. Copy orginating in the Americas should follow North American spelling conventions, such as color, defense, aging, caliber, etc. Copy orginating elsewhere should follow British spelling norms. At all times stick to official spellings for American names and titles, such as U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Watch out for regional words that non-English language services and clients will find difficult to understand and translate. In American sports coverage, use American terms and spellings e.g. center, maneuver, defense, offense, ballclub, postseason, preseason, lineman, line up, halfback, doubleheader.
Americas
Includes South Amercian states.
America's Cup
The sailing trophy, named after the yacht America, takes an apostrophe.
The Reuters General Style Guide 124 The Reuters General Style Guide 125 amid
Not amidst. However, amid is a sign of thoughtless writing; there is always a better way to express this. amok, not amock or amuck. among, between
Between is restricted to two choices or two parties. Among is for several options or parties. Use between in referring to bilateral contacts e.g. relations between France and Germany. Use among for a collective linkage, e.g. relations among the NATO states. Be careful to use between if there are just two groups to choose from, even though it looks like several. It was hard to decide between a touring holiday in France, Belgium and Spain or in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It was hard to decide among a holiday in France, in Belgium or in Spain. ampersand
Do not use, instead use 'and' in full, even in company names. anaemia, anaemic but anemia, anemic is American style. analog, not analogue analysts
Do not use analysts alone, buyt qualify -- policitical analysts, stokc market analysts. ancestor
One from whome someone is descended. Do not use to mean predecessor.
and
Do not start a sentence with 'and'.
The Reuters General Style Guide 125 The Reuters General Style Guide 126 annex
Not annexe, for both verb and noun. annual meeting
Lower case. For companies use annual meeting rather than annual general meeting. another
Avoid when you are trying to say additional or extra. It should be used only when referring to things of the same type, size and number. Two teams were at full strength; another two were short of players. In most instances it can simply be omitted. Three men died in the crash and three were injured.
Antarctic, Antarctica
Not Antartic. antennae, antennas
Antennae are insect feelers. Antennas are aerials.
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
ABM Treaty on second reference. anticipate, expect
These are not synonyms. If you anticipate something, you not only expect it but take precautionary action to deal with it. anti-
Hyphenate in most cases. Antitrust is an exception.. antitrust
One word. Largely an American term that refers to government policy or law that restrains monopolistic or anti-competitive behaviour by businesses. The term originated in late 19th century
The Reuters General Style Guide 126 The Reuters General Style Guide 127 United States where businesses were often merged into large industry wide holding companies or trusts. aneurysm
Not aneurism. anxious, eager
Anxious means uneasy with fear or desire. Prefer eager if the promised experience is desirable. I am anxious about going to the dentist but eager to go the party. any more
Two words anything
One word. anywhere
One word. anyone, any one
Anyone can do that, but any one among them is guilty. When it is two words the emphasis is on the second word. Similarly with anybody and any body.
APEC
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, aimed at promoting regional trade and economic co-operation. 21 members.
apostolic delegate
See Roman Catholic Church.
The Reuters General Style Guide 127 The Reuters General Style Guide 128 apostrophes apostrophes: Use the apostrophe according to the following rules, unless to do so would lead to a word that looked or sounded very strange.
Singular words and plural words not ending in s form the possessive by adding s, e.g. Boeing s new airliner, the children s books. Plural words already ending in s form the possessive by adding the apostrophe alone, e.g. the soldiers weapons. There is usually no problem about using the apostrophe with words ending in s. the class s performance, the princesses return, Shultz s car are all acceptable because they can be pronounced easily. Some words would look or sound so odd, e.g. Paris s reputation, Tunis